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Arrival, information and getting around
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Nagano's sleek JR station, rebuilt for the Olympics, is the terminus for
trains
on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line from Tokyo and also the hub for local and express services around the prefecture and up to the Sea of Japan coastline. Most long-distance
buses
pull in at the bus terminal on Basu Taminaru-dori, on the west side of the JR station.
Another legacy of the Olympics is Nagano's excellent tourist information centre (daily 9am-6pm; tel 0262/26-5626), inside the station's main concourse. The helpful assistants speak English, can arrange accommodation and will provide you with a wide range of English maps and pamphlets for the city and prefecture. Information is also available from the International Exchange Lounge ANPIE (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm; tel 0262/35-7186), outside the prefectural office around 1km west of the station. This facility also has a small library and is a good place to meet locals who speak English.
Getting around
is best done on foot - walking the 2km up to Zenko-ji
is an especially good way of taking in the city. Alternatively, you can hop on a bus from the west side of the JR station, or take the local Nagano Dentetsu, a private railway with its terminus beneath the Midori department store - this is also the line for trains to Obuse
. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Japan,
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