We learned about the Nagano Eating & Walking Sticker Campaign during our research of things to do in Nagano city. We decided to go big and purchased two tickets for a price of ¥700/each. The tickets included stickers with a value totaling ¥700 each. Each of the participating shops offered a select food/good at a slightly discounted rate. When we found one that we were interested in, we would go to the shop and pay them the listed price on the pamphlet in “sticker money”.

The goal of the rally was to expose tourists to local foods/goods in the area and to give them good value for their money. The participating shops were all in the general area of Zenkoji Temple. This rally was the perfect compliment to the Zenkoji Temple/Shrine Stamp Rally.

In addition to the sticker card, we were also given this pamphlet that listed all the participating stores. There was also a map of their locations and further details about the deals they were offering. We used the map to brainstorm which places we wanted to stop by.

As a bonus, if we used all of the stickers, we could redeem the tickets for complimentary small tote bags highlighting the campaign. The bags were pretty cute and came in either red, navy blue, or black.

Chokien Hojicha & Matcha Soft Cream

Our first stop was at a tea shop called Chokien (長喜園) where we were able to try some hojicha and Matcha soft cream (roasted green tea and green tea soft serve). The soft cream had very light flavors which we enjoyed. We also liked the presentation with the waffle cone and stand. They had a number of other tasty looking sweets that we’d like to try the next time we come.

Beni-Beni Apple Pies

The highlight of the rally for us were the apple pies from Beni-Beni. The shop was located on the main street leading up to Zenkoji Temple. It was pretty safe for us to say that these were the best apple pies we’ve ever had. The outside was nice and flaky. The apples on the inside were tender, but not too soft. We hate it when you bite into an apple pie and the apples are too soft, so it doesn’t break off cleanly, and you end up taking the whole piece of apple instead of just a bite. These apple pies did not have that problem at all. The apples had the perfect balance of being both tender and crisp. The filling was just the right amount of sweet. We highly recommend. We liked it so much that we got another on our way out.

Suyagame Miso Onigiri

Our next stop was across the street and consisted of a miso onigiri from Suyagame (すや亀). The onigiri had a salty miso glaze on both sides and was wrapped in a piece of seaweed. It was just okay, nothing special in particular.

Irohado Oyaki

Next on our list was Irohado (いろは堂) an oyaki shop. Oyaki are dumplings stuffed with a variety of fillings that originated in Nagano. This shop had a variety of flavors to choose from and we went with the local specialty of pickled green vegetables. The oyaki was good, the vegetables were tender and flavorful. Our only gripe is that they weren’t very warm. This might have been a unique experience, but they were pre made and sitting outside. When we got ours, the store attendant asked if we wanted it heated up. We agreed, however when we got the oyaki it was just lukewarm.

With ¥300 remaining we stopped by Hotel New Nagano NeXT on our way back to Nagano Station. We got some cartons of Nagano’s specialty apple juice. The apple juice was really good, it was smooth and refreshing. It was here that we were able to complete our final ticket and were able to redeem it for a second tote.

Final Thoughts

This was a great experience that melded very well with our other activities for the day. We’re happy with our decision to buy two tickets and probably could have done a third considering we went back for that second apple pie. The Nagano Eating & Walking Sticker Campaign allowed us to try a good variety of foods from places we would have never known about. The campaign was for a limited time, but hopefully they’ll continue it in the future.

Here is the link to the campaign.

More to come…

¥350 soft serve ¥50 saved
¥350 apple pie ¥50 saved
¥200 onigiri ¥50 saved
¥200 oyaki ¥20 saved
¥300 apple juice ¥60 saved
Total Savings: ¥230