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Hit this cool spot
Nagano in summertime is picture-perfect gorgeous
by Hedirman Supian
YOU don't always need to get all transcontinental and jetset to Europe if you're looking to experience some mountainous greenery during your summer jaunts.
There are destinations closer by in the upper hemisphere. Culturally cool Japan, for instance, has Nagano.
Nagano is home to the Japanese Alps, so there's no shortage of blossoming flora and expansive scenery to gloat about online on that Facebook photo album of yours.
Noted in the history books for hosting the 1998 Winter Olympics, this central prefecture of Japan is a vacation hotspot among locals because of its comfortably balmy climates during summer and cool ski resorts during the fall. It is also easily accessibility by rail from Nagoya or Tokyo.
The mountainous countryside boasts great outdoor hikes, lakes and waterfalls. And you can end your day soaking your tender feet in the naturally occurring onsens littered across the prefecture.
Just keep in mind that you won't be wearing anything else besides your personality at these onsens.
Or, you can catch wild monkeys bathing in a hot spring. Really.
If frolicking in the nude or watching other primates isn't your thing, other notable attractions include the medieval Matsumoto Castle, which has great views of the Alps and has a moat that's elegantly inhabited by swans and koi.
Zenkoji, a 1,400-year-old temple believed to house the first Buddhist statue brought to the country, is worth a visit as well.
End your trip with a bang, literally, at the annual ginormous fireworks display at Suwa Lake in mid-August. More than 40,000 fireworks will explode and sparkle over the lake, with the surrounding mountains serving as a natural echo chamber. Does the expression "kaboom" have the same meaning in Japanese?
Guess you will just have to find that out for yourself.
(For more photos, follow the sorce article, as indicated below. Thanks!)
From TODAY, Travel - Thursday, 27-May-2010
Hit this cool spot
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