Togakushi(Togakure) ninja art style museum
On the opposite side of the entrance for Togakushi Okusha Shrine there are Togakushi Historical and Folklore Museum, ninja trick house, Shuriken dojo and Togakushi ninja art style museum.
Togakushi ninja art style museum stand next to Togakushi Historical and Folklore Museum. On the first floor of Museum which used to be a rich farmer’s house, Yu-pon wondered where the Ninja Museum is looking at various exhibits of farmer’s life goods. Yu-pon found the way to Togakushi ninja art style museum which is on the 2nd floor of the house and the entrance and steps are on the side of the house not in inside.
Yoshiaki Hatsumi who is the director of Bujinkan located in Noda city has donated the old documents and ninja goods to this Museum. You see the pictures of young Hatsumi in ninja costume playing ninja art each other which is very nice to look at. These pictures and picture exhibits should help understand real ninja’s play with ease. How tools were used is classified and presented with an explanatory note.
In half-way of the route, a ninja mannequin suddenly appears over the top which brought Yu-pon a big surprise. There are so many ninja gear such as swords fixed in stick or pipe, blowguns, hand grenade enveloped guns powder style which cannot be seen at other places.Quantity and quality of these exhibits on display are terrific that you will never get tired of watching. If possible I wish they would expand ninja section to the 1st floor so that guests can enjoy relaxed viewing.
Museum open regularly between 4/23 and 11/23 and open Saturdays and Sundays only in winter.
Ninja trick house;
Inside of this house is made of labyrinth. You will enjoy it. Yu-pon think this trick house became the origin of the ninja house in Japan.
Shuriken dojo;
You can throw real Shurikens at this facility.
Road to Togakushi Okusha Shrine
Togakushi Shrine is a shrine with a history of more than 2,000 years ago its founding, consisting of five shrines (Hōkō-sha,Hino-miko-sha,Chu-sha,Kuzuryu-sha and Oku-sha) at the foot of the Togakushi Mountain. 2km approach to the Togakushi Oku-sha Shrine(a innermost building behind main part of the shrine) and Nine heads dragon(Kuzuryu) shrine.
Walking from Houkou shrine which is the lowest place to Tyu shrine in half-way takes 20min for 2km up hill, then walking 20min for 2km from there to the entrance of Oku and Kuzuryu shrine and another 2km walk for 20min to Oku and Kuzuryu shrine.You can choose walk only to Oku and Kuzuryu shrine from the entrance. In half way to both shrines you will be surprised to see an avenue for humongous cedars of 10m over trunk by each. That one tells you a history. You must be amazed by deep emotion that this place used be the ninja training place.
| Name; | Togakushi shrine |
| Place; | 3506,Togakushi,Nagano City,Nagano |
| by bus; | There is a high-speed bus bound for Nagano Station from Tokyo (Shinjuku / Ikebukuro), Nagoya, Osaka / Kyoto |
| by train; | From Nagano station by taxi |
