We did some research on things to do in Nagano for half a day and stumbled upon the Nagano Zenkoji Temple Stamp Rally. One of the biggest tourist spots in Nagano city is Zenkoji Temple. This stamp rally highlighted the area in and around the large temple complex. The temples and shrines were in a pretty dense area and were walkable from Nagano Station.

We started off at the Nagano Tourist Information Center just outside the Japan Rail (JR) gates in Nagano Station. The staff there was very kind, but we did have to mention “Shichifukujin Meguri” by name for them to understand. We paid the ¥800 fee and were given a nice shikishi board (high quality paper on a hard board) which was quite substantial. We were also given a case to store the board in upon completion and directions on how to complete it. There were a total of seven temples each with their own unique deity and stamp.

The temples are arranged in a more or less straightforward path concluding with Zenkoji Temple. A few of the temples were staffed with actual people, but the rest were unmanned. At the unmanned temples, we prayed briefly, paid the ¥100 fee, practiced the stamp on the included practice sheet, before finally stamping it on our special shikishi board.

Saikoji Temple

Our first stop was a short four minute walk from Nagano Station’s Zenkoji Exit. The temple was located just off of Chuo-Dori which was the main street leading to Zenkoji Temple. This temple was staffed and we entered a side building where a kind attendant stamped our board. The deity associated with this temple was Jurojin the god of longevity, wealth, and prosperity.

Okuinushi Shrine

We then took a six minute walk to our next stop at Okuinushi Shrine which was just past the post office on the left. This shrine has no attendant and is really small. We found the stamp and made sure to practice a few times before putting it on our shikishi board. The deity associated with this shrine was Daikoku-ten the god of luck and agriculture.

Akiba Shrine

Next on our list was Akiba Shrine a five minute walk to the northeast. The temple was just steps away from Chuo-dori. This temple was also unmanned. The stamp was located in a tiny box at the top of some steps on a building to the left. The deity associated with this temple was Fukuroku-ju the god of luck, wealth, and agriculture.

Ojouin Temple

Our next stop was Ojouin Temple a nine minute walk up Chuo-Dori. We turned right when we got to the Nagano Gondo covered shopping street. The temple was marked with some red flags on the left. This temple has no attendant. The deity associated with this temple was Benzai-ten the goddess of music and knowledge.

Nishinomiya Shrine

Next we took a seven minute walk to Nishinomiya Shrine. The deity associated with this shrine was Ebisu the god of fisherman, wealth, safety, agriculture, and luck. The shrine has an attendant. We went to the back building and rang the bell. He happily stamped our shikishi board and gave us directions to the next temple.

Sesonin Shakadou Temple

Our final temple before Zenkoji was Sesonin Shakadou Temple. It was a short four minute walk and located one street from the Zenkoji Nakamise Street. The deity associated with this temple was Bishamon-ten the god of victory and good luck. The shrine has an attendant and we took off our shoes before entering. Upon entering we were a little confused as it resembled more of a shop selling things than a temple in our opinion.

Zenkoji Temple

The last stop for this temple/shrine stamp rally brought us to Zenkoji Nakamise Street. The approach to the temple was quite impressive as we passed under the massive Sanmon Gate. The temple itself was quite large and was pretty deep compared to other temples we’ve seen. We did a quick prayer before wrapping up and heading to the office to pick up our last stamp. While we were there, we picked up our final stamp as well as a goshuincho. With our shikishi board complete, we put it in the case for safe keeping.

Final Thoughts

The Nagano Zenkoji Temple Stamp Rally board looked great and we were really happy with the way it turned out. We would highly recommend this and the Nagano Walking & Eating Sticker Campaign to anyone who has a couple of hours to spend in Nagano.

More to Come…

If you would like more information here is their website.

Budget:

• ¥800 price of shikishi board and case
• ¥700 price for seven temple/shine stamps
• ¥200 price for final Zenkoji Temple stamps

Total: ¥1,700