Pristine sacred place in Nagano - you should try to get into the dark room at the main hall , you need to walk in the dark tunnel under the main hall and touch the handle (it is said that if you do that you will go to heaven 😊)

Very beautiful and picturesque old temple. It is a national heritage site and the largest wooden structure in japan. The pagoda at the back of the temple complex holds the ashes of those that died during WW2. Very sacred place and worth this visit especially in winter.

This is an iconic location in Nagano. The temple area is so big and there are many shrines inside the temple area. During winter it's very attractive. It was highly crowded during weekend.

I went there to visit as a group visit during a Lamborghini event. A Beautiful temple in the heart of Nagano with different complexes. You can go up the temple to enjoy the views from the top. The temple where Kuukai the monk got raised. Very I interesting experience walking in the dark by touching the wall! The only tricky part is that you have to pay at every place you go… would be nice if there was one ticket for all. and it’s not too cheap if it adds up. But it’s I understandable as you need to maintain the temple to be visited by so many tourists !

30 min walk from Nagano station thru the main street to get there, with interesting shops/buildings along the way. Nice temple grounds.

Eine sehr große und gut gepflegte Anlage. Der Andrang von Gläubigen und Touristen war auch hier groß. Es fand auch ein spezielles Fest für Kinder statt - die das aber nicht so sonderlich interessierte. :-) Jedenfalls hatten viele Besucher Kimonos an. Interessant war der Besuch des dunklen Raums, in dem man eine Stang ertasten musste. Wenn man in Nagano ist, sollte man diesen Tempel besuchen.

This is an amazing place to visit. With a small handful of shops and eateries along the path that leads to the temple, everyone is able to find something. The temple itself is a spectacular scene. Surrounded by gardens containing various sculptures there is a lot to see. Inside the temple you can have a prayer and enjoy the silence. This temple is a short walk from Nagano station. I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Japan and looking for a day trip.

Great experience. At 7 am is the ceremony and it worth it to be there so early in the morning. The surroundings are beautiful and you can find statues of Buddha. You can also make your Goshuin for 500 yen.

Visited on the first day of 2023 for the good luck new year blessing. Very crowded, but everyone was in polite manner. There's a special loop bus to digest the mass directly from Nagano Bus Terminal. It's my second visit at the temple, still as divine. The new year atmosphere is something I never experienced before. It was quite a journey!

The views were pretty and the temple was great, but the street and area surrounding it leave a little to be desired. Great stop in Nagano, but the rest of the city felt asleep or ordinary.

Peaceful temple with beautiful garden and benches to sit and enjoy. It was super quiet and a nice place to take a break. No pictures allowed in the temple.

Enjoyed Okaidan meguri. It was totally dark. I never experienced before. It’s worth to visit at least pence in life time. Many shops out side of the Temple. Called Nakamise dori. You can buy souvenirs, eat Otaki which is local damping inside are different ingredients, or soba backedwheat noddle.

Fairly vast temple grounds with all kinds of shrines and temples. Entrance is free! There is nothing particularly special about it but it provides a well rounded tourist experience. There is a small pagoda, a big temple, a colorful temple, a buddha statue, a special temple for scriptures, etc. There were many dressed up families doing fotoshoots with their children dressed in traditional clothing. My favourite part was the street leading up to the temple which makes it feel like you're walking through historic Japan. Good connection to the main station by bus and make sure to get off at the recommed stop, there will be an announcement. The bus here does not accept IC, so prepare to draw a ticket and have exact cash.

Loved the structure. Very historic and huge. It is said that the downtown area of Nagano flourished because of Zenkoji Temple; after buying a ticket to enter the main hall, visitors will sit inside and listen to a master’s introduction, and then enter a secret tunnel under the Buddha statue, and come out after a round. It is a temple worth a short trip, if time permits.

Large area temple complex. Lots of cool buildings and statutes to check out. You can even enter and climb to the top of the gate and wave down at everyone. Incense fills the air as you approach the temple itself and you can buy a stamp book and get the temples mark for 300 yen. Interesting place to spend a few hours.

One of the most beautiful temples to visit while in Japan. The complex is surrounded by multiple structures, sculptures and gardens. The entrance to the complex is free except for the main temple. There are many stores at the side of the road leading to Zenko-ji temple.

Main highlight to visit in Nagano. This gigantic buddhism temple has a long history over 1400 years. Before getting to the main temple, there is a shopping street where you can enjoy buying souvenirs or snack or food. The main temple offers an interesting activity that is, walking into a pitch black tunnel. You wont see a thing. What you do is to put your right hand on the walk and use it to guide your direction. There are a few turns there. As long as you hav your right hand on the wall it will be fine. It is believed that once you walk you are purified and then can go to get blessings with several places in the temple. There is also 'a key' in the tunnel ( I feel like a door handle) it is believed that if toy find the key in the tunnel, yoy will be blessed. It is about a waist level on the right and I reckon its about 2/3 of the journey. There are some other activities also like meditation (called zazen) and calligraphy.

It is an amazing place to feel the spirit and history of ancient times. The temple and the surrounding buildings are of a grandeur scale. There is a sense of serenity. We walked up from Nagoya Station in what was a very flat sand easy walk. Lots of souvenir shops, coffee shops, and restaurants on the way up to the temple.We got there around 3:30 in the afternoon, and there were very few signs of crowds. There was lots of information about Zenko-ji on display for those curious. Lots and lots of photo opportunities. Definitely put it on your must do list if in or near Nagano. Was lucky enough to head back there a few days later but went at about 6 pm. Totally different vibe at night and lovely picture opportunities. Very few people, just a few locals walking through the grounds. Zenkoji is well lit up, as are the gates. If you have tome, a night walk up there is recommended.

Exploring the temple grounds revealed beautifully manicured gardens, serene ponds, and various smaller shrines, each with its unique charm. In the heart of Nagano City, Zenkoji Temple stands as a testament to the enduring power of spirituality and the beauty of cultural heritage.

We loved this place. It payed by itself the travel to Japan. Nagano is a beautiful town, completely different to Tokyo. Architecture is amazing and whole vibe. Zeko-ji it's a complete town itself, surrounded by several other minor temples, gardens and amazing landscapes. There're options to stay in small temples and houses around the temple and live the spiritual lifestyle, that has to be an unforgettable experience. Woodwork, wood sculptures are like nothing you've seen before. The giant warriors keeping the gigantic gates seems like they're alive. A must visit in Japan, don't miss this place and please reserve at least half day in the area. If you're ok with walking, it is just 30 mins from Nagano Station in a straight direction to the temple. The avenue is packed with nice design stores and astonishing design houses.

Splendid gates and superb traditional Japanese architecture. The massive wood pillars inside the temple are impressive when you know there aren't much big trees in Japan. The dark tunnel is a fun side activity that is supposed to do some good to your soul. Great pictures opportunities all around. Worth the visit

お戒壇巡り真っ暗で怖すぎました。まだまだ修行が足りぬようです。 Walking to the temple, you will see the first gate, Niomon (Deva gate). Two guardian deities welcome you for the temple. Take a look at the sophisticated carvings. Going through the Deva gate, next you will see Wet Jizo and Six Jizo on the right side. Jizo is a Bodhisattva, a deity who postponed Buddha hood to save others. Wet Jizo serves as a prayer for protection of the temple from fire. Six Jizos are our protectors of the next six realms; hell, hungry ghosts, animals, Asura, humans and heavenly beings. Each of these Jizo protects one of the six realms. Can you see the sixth Jizo in front puts her leg outside? This Jizo is ready to save people as soon as she can. Finally you can see the main hall. It is said that the start of this temple is about 1400 years ago. Since it started in the very old time even Buddhism has not been completely established in Japan, this temple welcomed all prayers, regardless of gender, creed or any religious belief. Would you like to try Buddhism training? In the underneath of this mail hall, there is a pitch-black tunnel which you can walk in and can touch the key to Heaven. I was so scared to go in the tunnel because it was totally black, absolutely no light! I had to walk only by touching the right side wall. This is the lesson of Buddhism, you can engage in self-reflection and spiritual awakening. Then what is actually in the back of the door keyed in the tunnel? In there, it is said that the oldest Buddha image in Japan are enshrined. However, nobody has seen the hidden image for more than 1300 years even the monks in this temple, so it is a mystery here if the image exists or not. Even the copy of the image can be seen once every seven years.

A beautiful 7th century temple and surrounding grounds with a long shopping street leading to it from the city centre. You can find lots of delicious treats on the way up the hill and some good gifts to take back home. This temple is said to hold the first Buddhist statue to ever come to Japan and it is considered to be the birthplace of Buddhism in the country. Nagano Town was built around the temple and it continues to be a major point of interest in the modern city. I love the two giant Nio Guardians at the outer gate south of the main gate. It is the first structure you pass as you walk up the hill from the city

Beautiful temple, a must visit. We were there yesterday 01.01.2022 to ring in the new year, as expected, it was crowded till the last minute I.e 5.00 pm. But every minute spent there was worth the effort and money spent to travel from Tokyo.

Absolutely beautiful place. Loved leisurely exploring and admiring the grandeur of the temple. The shopping street leading to the temple is loaded with souvenir shops. We loved the 'Obaachans' running few shops. They were adorable and shared some freshly roasted beans with us on a snowy winter evening😍😍😍

Beautiful temple! Highly recommend visiting this place if you’re fortunate enough to visit Nagano. We visited on the 1.1.2024. Lots of lovely colourful shops with lots of souvenirs to purchase. The only thing I don’t recommend was the earthquake that we experienced! Very scary but all part and parcel of a fantastic experience at Zenkoji Temple.

This was one stop on our walking tour of Nagano and we were there in time to be blessed.

There are little shops here, and the Temple was AWSOME!

Large Buddhist temple complex, very worth visiting, Easy car parking in one of several car parks. Has pagoda as well as temple building. Good grounds with nice garden areas good temple shop for purchase of charms

Compared to Sensō-ji in Asakusa, it’s more peaceful and less crowded and commerialized. We went on a weekend and yes it was crowded but nowhere near as Asakusa. I was able to walk around with ease and had a pleasant time admiring its beauty and history as it was my first here. Like Asakusa, the main walkway is full of shops selling goods, food and souvenirs that’s special to Nagano but better and not overpriced. Their manju was delicious as well. We didn’t get to see all the places it had to offer, but just by visiting here it felt like a breath of fresh air.

This temple was our main reason for a stop and go in Nagano and it was worthwhile! The temple lays withing a lager beautiful complex with smaller temples and shrines. The decorations within the temple are just stinning and make it a must visit. Make sure to play a small enterance fee and go up the gate to get an even better vieuw of the temple complex.

This is one of the more significant temples in Japan. The experience has changed a lot over the years and now restrictions forced by covid and sections of the temple being restricted as payment only areas means that the visit has a different feel to it. Try to avoid visiting on the weekend unless you like large crowds.

This is a beautiful and culturally important Buddhist temple. On the day we visited, there were hundreds of people. Many tourists were enjoying the beauty of the buildings, gardens, and statues. The locals were going about their rituals of prayer or celebration. Family groups celebrate their children's coming of age, dressed in their traditional kimonos. Worshippers receiving blessings from the priest or praying for good health. A great experience.

Nice walk from our hotel to the temple. Things got dark very fast so couldn’t see the entire grounds. Most shops in the area closed at 5 pm

An absolute must-see while traveling in Nagano. The temple is massive and the inner chamber is beautiful! From Nagano station it is about a half hour walk, but there are buses available at the station that take you right to the temple. By paying 600￥ you can enter the underground passage in the basement, and walk through the darkness in search of the “key to paradise.” If you find the key, a bell rings in the temple and it is said you will have good fortune. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic they have now placed candles along the passage, so the immersion is a little less exciting as in past years. Along the streets in front of the temple are some souvenir shops and restaurants, all built in a Japanese style, including the Starbucks! Definitely allocate some time to explore and eat if you visit!

Up there in our opinion as one of the best temples. Beautiful grounds and the Pagoda to the services men and women was great. Wonderful interesting buildings surround the temple.

The architecture, history, and landscaping were cool. Overall. However, I didn't find it too exciting. It may have been better had I not been on a tour and having to watch the clock.

Personally had a decent time walking around all aspects of the temple and admiring its beauty and significance. Just sadly found the place a bit too over commercialised with the main hall of the temple with the Buddha for prayer costing people 700 Yen to pray. A bit too far from my perspective.

Have visited this temple at night time, around 9PM 🫣 all the stores around are already closed. It was majestic at night because there was no crowd. Only the temple and the very silent sound of the area. You should try to visit it and stroll around the area!

Stunningly beautiful location in the lovely city of Nagano. Would advise going early in the day as it gets a little busier later on. Well worth a trip into the main temple itself for a look around (no pictures, so take it all in!) and a talk to the staff there who are welcoming & explained to us (in very good English) the meaning of the temple & various adornments within. The rest of the grounds are picturesque with a mountainous backdrop against various temple buildings. We also left a Gankake-Kitsune as an offering at a small shrine & made a wish. Take your time to soak it all in & enjoy the serenity of this amazing place :)

Long shopping street will lead you to this beautiful castle. The whole area and the gardens are equally wondeful.

Very cool temple in Nagano with a large complex of important buildings with interesting history! The temple itself is a very iconic building that has been the favorite temple I’ve visited so far in Japan. I’d recommend buying the combination pass (1200 yen) which allows you to enter to enter all the ticketed areas of the Temple grounds. Each is quite unique and worth a look. The Main Hall includes an underground passage which is quite dark and a fun experience to walk through! The Main Gate provides great views of the temple itself and the surrounding scenery. The museum offers many pieces of art related to the museum and the deities relevant to the temple. It also has a cool section with artifacts from when the 14th Dalai Lama visited Zenkoji. The last ticketed building has a large revolving storage for scripture that if you push it one full revolution will give you the same status as if you had recited all the scripture itself! Visiting Zenkoji is a must-do activity when visiting Nagano and the transportation is very easy from the city center! Also, the temple is surrounded by great small shops with souvenirs and some excellent food!

Not my favourite temple in Japan, but its size is undeniable and the architecture is praiseworthy. The straight path to the main hall reminded me a bit of Kaminarimon. My favourite part was the underground walk in the darkness (don't cheat by turning on your phone)

I highly recommend visiting this iconic temple in Nagano, and walking around its gardens in the back.

Amazing temple with a lot of history and plenty of tangible experiences to be had, including walking down a dark tunnel, going up the main gate, and rotating a bookcase. I found a volunteer tour guide and got a free in depth tour, definitely recommend those guys! (Thank you to my guide Hide who helped me catch a bus afterwards!)

Pleasant surroundings. Would be beautiful when the flowers bloom. Not a very big place. You can explore the external areas for free unless you want to enter the temple halls.

It's the better asakusa in every way. Way bigger temple, nicer area, beautiful garden. More food stalls, better quality food and souvenirs, cheaper too. It's never crowded, almost no foreign tourists. It's one of the best places I've been to.

Beautiful temple complex in the heart of Nagano. It looked. Beautiful covered in snow in the winter time. Worth a visit if you are staying in the area.