Tsumago Juku & Nakasendo Post-Station Preservation

Japan's premier highland resort in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture. Since Canadian missionary Alexander Croft Shaw introduced it as a summer retreat in the Meiji era, it has been beloved by the imperial family and cultural figures. Visitors enjoy strolling Old Karuizawa Ginza, outlet malls, and church tours.

A post town on the Nakasendo highway in Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture. Japan's longest preserved post town with Edo-period streetscape extending about 1km, designated an Important Preservation District. The continuous row of wooden houses with lattice doors offers a time-slip experience, highly popular with international visitors.

Matsumoto Castle in Matsumoto, Nagano is one of Japan's five surviving original castles. Its five-story keep, built in 1504, is the oldest of its kind and designated a National Treasure. The surrounding Edo-period castle town is well-preserved, with Nakamachi Street's earthen-walled merchant houses particularly renowned. Reflects the history of Shinshu's development as an economic and cultural center.

Kurashiki Bikan District in Kurashiki, Okayama preserves an Edo-to-Meiji merchant town. White-walled earthen-walled merchant houses along the Kurashiki River with weeping willows express quintessential Japanese beauty. Once a cotton distribution hub, it pioneered private preservation efforts. Represents Japan's finest example of integrated preservation combining buildings, land, and water landscape.

A cultural city in Hokuriku that flourished as the castle town of the Kaga domain, where tradition and modernity coexist at Kenroku-en Garden, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, and Higashi Chaya District. The 2015 Hokuriku Shinkansen dramatically improved access from Tokyo, triggering a tourism surge.

One of Japan's premier mountain scenic spots at approximately 1,500m elevation in the Northern Alps. Views from Taisho Pond and Kappa Bridge reflecting the Hotaka Range are sometimes called 'Japan's Switzerland.' Private car restrictions preserve the natural environment, making it a popular base for mountaineering and trekking.