This is the next leg of the trip to destinations in Gifu and Nagano I began using the three-day Shoryudo Bus Pass "Matsumoto - Magome - Komagane Course." Today found me heading to the Buddhist temple of Zenkoji in the city of Nagano.

The Sando, or approach, to Zenkoji Temple is a street several blocks long that's lined with shops, restaurants, and food stalls, making it an enjoyable place to visit in its own right.

On arrival at Nagano Station, I stepped inside the station to check out the large tourist information center, where you can pick up free maps and guides to the area in English and other languages.

You have several options for how to get from Nagano Station to Zenkoji. One is by train from the adjacent Nagano Dentetsu (Nagano Electric Railway) station – get on a train bound for Yudanaka, and get off at Zenkojishita, the third stop.

Another is by city bus, with frequent departures from stop #1 in front of Nagano Station.

You can also walk there. If you want to see a bit of the city, it's an easy thirty-minute stroll to Zenkoji. Just head northwest to the big street called Chuo-dori a block away, then turn right and follow the road – it's a straight shot to the temple.

Another great deal that lets you explore not just Zenkoji but the nearby Matsushiro area as well is this hop-on, hop off bus pass

I elected to take the city bus. All buses departing from stop #1 go to Zenkoji, so you don't have to worry about which bus to get on.

Bus fares are calculated by distance, so when you board, be sure to take a numbered ticket from the machine just to the right inside the door.

Several of the bus's stops have "Zenkoji" in their names and they're all close to the temple, so you can get off at any of them. I chose the Zenkoji Daimon stop. During my visit, the stop had been relocated from its regular position to a temporary stop because of some ongoing roadwork, but there was no chance of getting lost. Just continue up Chuo-dori in the direction away from Nagano Station.

I decided to head to the temple first to pay my respects, then double back and explore the Sando at leisure. Continuing up the street I soon came to the Niomon gate with its two wrathful guardians flanking the entrance way.

Further up the street was another big gate, the Sammon.

Via a staircase at the back of the Sammon gate inside the temple grounds, for a fee (500 yen for adult), you can go up inside the gate and enjoy the views from the walkway that encircles the top of its lover roof.

You're welcome to take photos of the temple grounds, but not inside the temple’s main hall – only outside.

The smoke from this giant urn is held by some to have healing properties. People pat it onto the part of their body they want to make well.

Returning to the Sando street to explore it, I soon found an information center with maps and materials on the temple and the shopping street.

The buildings lining the stone-paved street give the area an ambiance of times past.

There were shops and stalls were selling locally grown produce.

Among other things, Nagano Prefecture is famous for its delicious apples. They're even pictured on the city's manhole covers!

This shop had a big section devoted to miso – another local specialty.

Nearby was a stall selling something unusual – miso ice cream. Tasty!

Another stall offered regional-specialty grilled buns called oyaki, with several different flavors of fillings available. I tried nozawana, which is a mild leafy vegetable related to mustard.

Here and there along the Sando, myriad different iconographic and architectural styles were apparent.

This Western-style building dating from 1925 used to be a hotel.

Along with apples and miso, the region is known for soba, and I had no trouble finding a place that looked appealing.

Fortified again, I continued exploring.

This is a kabuki theater.

One stall offered ice cream flavored with shichimi, a mix of red pepper and six other spices.

As my last treat at Zenkoji Sando, I tried the chocolate version, and it was definitely a bit spicy!

By then it was time for me to say goodbye to Zenkoji Sando and move onward. Maybe someday I'll get to go back again!

The Shoryudo Bus Pass also affords travel between Nagano and Matsumoto, a pretty castle town that’s a little over an hour away. I've visited Matsumoto before, and greatly enjoyed touring the castle and a few of the city's many museums. Here are two wrote-ups about my experiences there:

The City of Matsumoto

Matsumoto Castle

And when you're in Matsumoto, a handy and wallet-friendly way to get around is this hop-on, hop-off bus pass ：

I hope you have as much fun exploring the sights of Gifu and Nagano as I did!