Patio Daimon

Near the southern approach to Nagano City’s Zenkoji Temple is a collection of earthen-walled storehouses. The ‘kura’ were relocated here from various locations and today house an eclectic variety of businesses in a stylish mall called Patio Daimon. We can find everything from shops specializing in local Nagano foods such as kanten (agar) and oyaki dumplings grilled over coals, to a night club with a full set of instruments for impromptu jam sessions with the owner. Chic restaurants, art galleries and an interior design store round out the mix.

Tanaka Honke, the wealthy merchant’s house

In Suzaka-city, the Tanaka family homestead is a magnificent mansion with an area of ​​approximately 10,000 tsubo (approx. 100m²) and 20 storehouses surrounding it, covering an area of ​​100m². The Japanese garden, which changes its appearance with the seasons, and the storehouses lined with eaves and the buildings are in perfect harmony, conveying the life of a wealthy merchant to the present day. In the exhibition hall renovated from the storehouse, we can see various artworks that have been passed down through the Tanaka family for generations, as well as displays of everyday items from that time.

 Tanaka began the business in the middle of the Edo period(1733), dealing in grains, rapeseed oil, tobacco, cotton, and sake brewing. He became

a merchant and large landowner; a supplier to the Suzaka clan. His financial strength exceeded them, and he became the wealthiest merchant in northern Shinano. Currently, it is a private museum exhibiting cultural heritage such as gardens, buildings, and works of art that have been passed down through the generations. We can experience all aspects of Japanese culture in one place.

Takai Kozan Memorial Museum

Paintings and calligraphic works by Takai Kozan, the prosperous farmer and merchant who both invited Hokusai to Obuse and studied under the master, are on display in his former salon and study.

Hokusai Museum

The Hokusai Museum is a museum dedicated to the ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). Known for “Hokusai Manga” and “Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji,” Hokusai stayed in Obuse for a period of time in his later years while working with the wealthy merchant Takai Kozan, and created his works. The museum has a collection of Hokusai’s works from his early years through to his final years, and visitors can enjoy the world of Hokusai through exhibitions that change with each season.

Of the many festival floats still existing in Obuse, two have been designated as Nagano Prefecture Treasures: the Higashimachi and Kamimachi festival floats. Hokusai himself painted the ceiling paintings on these two floats, and at the Hokusai Museum you can see these floats and ceiling paintings up close. The ceiling paintings on the Higashimachi festival float, “Dragon” and “Phoenix,” and the ceiling paintings on the Kamimachi festival float, “Male Wave” and “Female Wave,” were both created by Hokusai when he was in his 80s.