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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Chikuma
千曲市
One night in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen: soak, sleep, walk the river. Two nights if you want Obasute and the apricot village without rushing.
Chikuma is a small Nagano city of about 59,000 people, formed in 2003 from Koshoku in the north and the onsen towns of Togura and Kamiyamada in the south. It is a hot-spring stop, not a sightseeing city: seven public bathhouses, ryokan, a river valley flat enough to cycle, and the Obasute moon-viewing rice terraces. Most travellers pass through on the Shinano Railway between Nagano and Matsumoto.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 千曲市
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-August Obon
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–10,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–17,000 excl. bed · High ¥17,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Noodle soup (soba or ramen) | ¥800–1,300 |
| Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| Public bathhouse entry | ¥250–650 |
| Shinano Railway ride between city stations | ¥190–240 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥2,000–4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NGO · Chubu Centrair (Nagoya)
- Rail via Nagoya and Matsumoto, or an Alpico bus to Nagano; check current schedules
- HND · Tokyo Haneda
- Shinkansen to Ueda, then the Shinano Railway; about 2 h to Togura
Typical fares
- Shinano Railway Nagano → Togura
- about ¥390, about 45 min (check)
- Shinano Railway Togura → Matsumoto
- about ¥2,300 via Shinonoi, about 1 h 15 min (check)
- Public bathhouse entry
- ¥250–650 (check)
Get around
The Shinano Railway runs north–south through the city (Yashirokokomae, Yashiro, Chikuma, Togura), fares about ¥190–240 between stations. Local buses reach most districts but run less than once an hour, so pick up a timetable. The Chikuma River valley is flat and good for cycling; the riverside path runs the length of the city and bikes can be hired locally.
See and do
Known for
- Togura Kamiyamada Onsen
- Obasute moon-viewing rice paddies
- Anzu no Sato apricot blossoms
- Mori Shogunzuka keyhole tomb
- Chikuma River cycling
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nagano | Shinano Railway from Togura or Yashiro to Nagano Station | About 40–50 min |
| Matsumoto | Shinano Railway to Shinonoi, then JR Shinonoi line | About 1 h 15 min |
| Ueda | Shinano Railway north to Ueda | About 40 min |
| Hakuba | Shinano Railway to Nagano, then bus or rail onward | 2.5–3 h |
| Azumino | Shinano Railway to Matsumoto, then the Oito line | About 2 h |
| Karuizawa | Shinano Railway to Ueda, then Shinkansen | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Togura Kamiyamada Onsen
- The onsen core: ryokan, seven public bathhouses, footbath on Chuo-dori, walkable to Togura Station.
- Togura Station area
- Cheaper, practical base on the Shinano Railway; 200 m to the sake museum.
- Yashiro
- North end near the expressway bus stop and the history museum; best if you arrive by highway bus.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
| One adult, please (bathhouse) | 大人一枚お願いしますotona ichimai onegaishimasu |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Local buses run less than once an hour on most lines: check the timetable before you rely on them.
- Kurashikan Museum is closed for repair until Jan 2027.
- Some onsen and museums close one day a week or on the 16th of the month: check before you go.
- English information at smaller temples and the history museum is minimal.
Very safe. The real risks are winter ice on the hill roads, infrequent buses that strand you after dark, and onsen etiquette: wash first, no swimwear, tattoos may bar entry.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Chikuma yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Togura Kamiyamada Onsen
- Obasute moon-viewing rice paddies
- Anzu no Sato apricot blossoms
- Mori Shogunzuka keyhole tomb
- Chikuma River cycling
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Chikuma City official site: www.city.chikuma.lg.jp/
- Chikuma City Tourism Association: chikuma-kanko.com/en/
- Shinano Railway: www.shinanorailway.co.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Chikuma, revision 5091973 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5091973
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Chikuma千曲市
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Chikuma; embassies are in Tokyo, with consulates in Nagano and Matsumoto (check).
Onsen rule: wash and rinse at the seated showers before entering the bath, keep hair out of the water, no swimwear, no towels in the tub.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/chikuma). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.