Norwoods in Nagano

Miranda put the M in MWR as the unofficial mascot on our recent tour to Nagano for some winter sightseeing. She and Sydney were travel champs on the five and a half hour bus ride to get there. They snacked and slept. And Sydney continually spoke about seeing snow as if it was the first time she'd said it, which surprisingly didn't get old to the people around her, given her enthusiasm.

Our first stop was Zenkoji temple, which was founded before Buddhism split into different sects within Japan and, therefore, is open to all believers. It is a very popular temple to visit for this reason as well as due to the "mysteries" of the temple. On the temple grounds there is a hidden buddha, (which was hidden due to vandalism and has never been revealed since) and a replica of the hidden buddha, which is only revealed every 6 years. This April will be the next unveiling of the replica hidden buddha, and most of the 7 million people that visit per year will try to come for the two months it is on display.

Another fun mysterious aspect of Zenkoji temple is the corridor under the inner chamber into which visitors may descend--in complete darkness--to try to feel their way to a metal key hanging on the wall, in order to gain enlightenment. I'm pretty sure asking your husband to use his cell phone flashlight to find your way negates the enlightment attained by touching the key, since I don't feel any different.

Zenkoji's more recent claim to fame is that during the 1998 winter Olympics in Nagano, it was the Zenkoji temple bell that was broadcast throughout the city as the ceremonial start to the games.

After a brief stop at the Hokusai museum, (during which--shocker--we had to coerce Sydney to come inside away from the snow), we made ourselves at home quickly at the Yudanaka View Hotel, now our favorite ryokan in Japan by far!

Surprisingly, we were the first American tour group to visit this ryokan, so perhaps they went above and beyond. In fact, a Japanese camera crew came to the hotel to interview us, since they were doing a story on how foreign tourists have been visiting Nagano and the snow monkey park in record numbers.

The service was excellent and accomodating even for small children. Several staff members spoke fluent English, which made it easy. The food was the best Japanese kaiseki we've had. After dinner there was a special taiko drum performance. And the onsen were picturesque and fantastic, and this was the first time we've been given child-size yukata and slippers for the girls. They even presented us with two adult yakata to take home.

In the morning we enjoyed an early relaxing soak in the private rooftop onsen and a traditional Japanese breakfast. We were hiking in the snow within ten minutes of departing the hotel. It was a little steep in the beginning, and then it leveled off to a gradual slope for 35 minutes to the monkey park. Although with the extra weight of Miranda on my back, I was working hard enough that I didn't feel the cold.

Once Sydney was free, of course she was most interested in playing in the snow. She paused only for a moment when she noticed the monkeys and exclaimed in sheer joy, "The monkeys are taking a bath!" Then she went back to digging in the snow alongside the monkeys. Monkey see, monkey do.

After we watched the human-like behaviors of the monkeys for quite a while, we allowed extra time back at the bus for building a real snowman--thanks to Daddy for building it and Mommy for providing the carrot nose. "But we don't have a black hat with a flower, like Frosty," Sydney told us. Miranda just eyed the carrot nose. It was lunchtime, after all.

Picturesque Matsumoto Castle was the final stop on the tour, which involved a little more hiking up narrow steep stairways. Then we boarded the bus for our long drive home, during which Miranda cried on and off for the last three hours...

Yes, Miranda put the M in MWR, indeed, this time lowering it. She was tired and wanted to sleep in her own comfy bed. Can't really blame her for that. Turns out she's about as fond of futon as Brian and I are. But we're with the monkeys on the onsen.