This trip was… quite a disaster (lol). We planned to visit so many places, but the heavy snow messed up most of it. To save money, we decided to rent a car from Tokyo — but honestly, we didn’t save much at all.
Most of the trip was just: driving, putting on snow chains, taking them off, putting them on again… repeat endlessly. We even broke one chain halfway and had to buy another snow cover (?). In the end, we didn’t even use it.
To be honest, I’ve forgotten a lot of small details already, so I’m mainly recalling everything through photos haha.
🏔️ Day 1: Tokyo → Mt. Tanigawa (谷川岳)
We left Tokyo early in the morning around 7 AM. We couldn’t book a car with snow tires in time, so we got one with normal tires and bought snow chains online “just in case.”
But guess what — we bought the wrong size. Well… not completely wrong (?), but I missed one tiny letter in the model number, and it turned out the chains were too short to fit.
Later, at a rest stop, staff were checking everyone’s tires, so we had no choice but to turn back and find a place that sold snow chains.
By the time we reached Mt. Tanigawa, the snowstorm had already started. We stopped at another rest area and tried to put the chains on — no one had any experience, so it took forever.
After finally getting them on and driving near the mountain, we arrived just in time for the last one or two cable cars (around 4 PM).
Once we got up there, all the frustration was forgotten. It was my first time seeing that much snow up close — so white, so grand, so beautiful.
To take photos, I even took off my gloves (big mistake). My hands turned red and numb immediately. The snow hitting my face was painfully cold, but at first, it felt so exciting.
Then, as more and more people went down the mountain and the wind grew stronger, that happy excitement slowly turned into a strange sense of loneliness and fear — like I was the only one left on the mountain.
🏯 Day 2: On the Way to Nagano
We visited the Northern Culture Museum. Besides the staff, we were the only visitors there.
My main memory of that place? Cold. Just freezing cold! You have to take off your shoes and change into the museum’s leather slippers — the moment I stepped in, I thought, “Wow, this is ice.” My whole brain was just repeating: cold cold cold.
After that, we went for seafood — and I swear, it was the freshest seafood I’ve ever had in my life. No fishy smell at all, and it tasted naturally sweet even without any sauce.
They also had some kinds of shellfish you can’t find in Tokyo, crunchy and super tasty. Definitely worth trying — but make sure to book in advance! せかい鮨（Sekai Sushi）
Later, we headed to a hot air balloon event site, but it got canceled because of the snowstorm… so we just kept driving toward Nagano.
🍠 Day 3: A (Barely Remembered) Day in Matsumoto
That day I had my first ever super sweet sweet potato — so good haha.
We queued for about an hour and a half at a soba restaurant. Everything was amazing — the tempura was light and crispy, the shrimp was huge, the duck meat wasn’t gamey at all, and the tamagoyaki (egg roll) was so soft and flavorful. Basically: hot, delicious, and not greasy at all!
After eating, we visited the Old Kaichi School — beautiful exterior, freezing interior. Then we went to Narai-juku, a traditional street full of old-style wooden buildings. It was gorgeous! But we arrived late, so most shops were already closed — a bit of a pity.
🐒 Day 4: Snow Monkeys in Nagano!
We originally planned to visit Togakushi Shrine, but it was closed due to the snow, so we went to see the monkeys instead.
I had bought snow grips online beforehand, but they were completely useless — the spikes got covered with ice and made it more slippery 🙂.
On the way up the mountain, you can see naked people bathing in the hot springs (yep), enjoy the snowy scenery, watch people slip — and slip yourself too (yes, me included).
We even saw a couple proposing in front of the monkeys! Everyone was smiling and clapping, except the monkeys — they didn’t care at all and just kept grooming each other (lol).
I’d seen online that there are usually lots of baby monkeys, but this time there were barely any. Maybe we just missed “monkey spring season.”
🧥 Final Thoughts
I’m so glad I bought that waterproof and windproof jacket the day before we left — it was the only one left in my size! Otherwise, I might’ve turned into a snowman halfway through the trip (lol).
At first, I thought I could just buy random cheap gear, but that was a mistake. My shoes were supposed to be waterproof, but after walking in the snow all day, my feet were soaked and freezing.
And those cheap snow grips? Total fail — they kept twisting after a few steps.
If you plan to drive in snowy areas, I’d really recommend renting a car locally instead of from Tokyo. It’s safer and you won’t spend half your trip just putting snow chains on and off.
Even though this trip sounds full of complaints, looking back — it was still an amazing experience 😊
2025.02.21–2025.02.24