Over the weekend I visited Togakushi in Nagano. Togakushi is famous for it’s ninja heritage, famous shrines, delicious Soba, and challenging mountain. To think of it, with as long as I have been in Japan I am amazed I haven’t yet visited the area.

We started off the first morning bright and early at the Togakushi Ninja museum. Of course there was displays of ninja gear and such, but the ninja mystery house was the best part. Without a guide it was up to us to navigate through the house to the exit, which meant finding all the hidden doors, and passageways ourselves. After the museum, we headed off to walk the path to ‘Okusha’ or the ‘interior shrine’. From there it was up towards Mt. Togakushi. It was a full day’s climb with plenty of challenges and sights along the way. The best part was a section called ‘the ants crossing’, which was a very narrow rocky ridge with steep drops on both sides. Also, the fall colors on the mountain were amazing.