Delight In Obuse, A Town Famous For Chestnuts And Hokusai In Nagano

Beyond the quaint town of Obuse tower Nagano prefecture’s five northern mountains known among the locals as Mamikutoi. To see them on a clear day, just like the peak of the mighty Mt. Fuji, is considered lucky!
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As I follow the narrow pathway weathered with endless years, a mélange of two-storey houses and confectioneries in neatly lined streets appear before me. The crisp scent of snow falling from the naked fruit trees mixed with the morning’s oven-fresh delights reaches my nose. It’s great to be back.

Obuse is 15 km north of Nagano city and can be reached in about 35 minutes from Nagano Station via the Nagano Dentetsu Railway. By car, take the Joshin-etsu Expressway. Once you reach Obuse Station, turn left for the tourist center and you can begin your trip from here.

Obuse native Yuuji-san signals me to sit down saying “Dozo” (“Have a seat.“). The elderly staff at the tourist center says chestnuts were first cultivated here during the Edo period – about 400 years ago. “It is number one in Japan”, he says in his best English.

Chestnuts are known in Japanese as kuri or maron, the latter being a term derived from the French word with the same meaning. The same word is used in English with reference to the color maroon. Obuse is famous for its production of chestnuts, as well as for its chestnut confectioneries - some of which will be introduced below in this article.

Obuse's household brand confectionery Kuri Kanoko (shown in the picture above) is sold for 400 yen in most shops and supermarkets. Three mouth-size pieces of these chestnuts will leave you hanging.

Yuuji-san recommends at least 3 hours to explore Obuse plus another hour for the Hokusai Museum, which is 12 minutes on foot from the station. “I’m sorry but there are no buses in this season”, he says as he looks down clasping his hands. The shuttle bus (300 yen one way) doesn’t run between December and March. No worries. A town with 11,000 residents, Obuse is best explored by foot or, if you’ve got 400 yen to spare, you can rent a bike for two hours at a shop by the station.

I take the many pamphlets given to me. As we part ways, he says that he’s been to Australia and New Zealand. “I went there 20 years ago – they’re nice places!”, he says.

Below is not exactly an itinerary but rather some of the places you could indulge in during your visit to Obuse. Let’s stroll around!

The Hokusai Museum in Obuse

The Hokusai Museum was established in 1976 to preserve, collect and showcase works of woodblock print master Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). He painted courtesans and actors, landscapes, nature, images of daily life and mythical creatures. In his later years, he lived in Obuse where he created his only 3D works.

The Hokusai museum permanently exhibits more than 40 original works by the ukiyo-e master, of which one will go to England from May. The entrance fee is 800 yen for adults and 500 yen for students.

Obuse's Famous Chestnut Confectioneries and Shops

Shop after shop, sweets after sweets, each store has their own specialties and if you find the same product in two different stores, don’t bother comparing prices because they are identical.

Obusedo is a well-established shop in the Nakamachi area that specializes in chestnut confectioneries (kurigashi) and seasonal specialties.

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