A poetic highland former castle town in Nagano. Active volcano, top-100 sakura, 1,000-year festivals, 400-year food traditions. Where we live.
Three shinkansen stations within a 30-minute drive — that's rare in Japan. You get bullet train access to Tokyo in about an hour while living in a quiet rural town surrounded by mountains.
Karuizawa is 20 minutes away. It's where wealthy Tokyo families have summer homes, where the art galleries and fancy restaurants are. We prefer Komoro — it's quieter, cheaper, and the people are more interesting.
Komoro is home to ZuCity — a group of people buying and renovating abandoned houses into coliving spaces.
Komoro Castle is one of Japan's top-100 castles — and unusual for being built lower than the surrounding land, earning the nickname Ana-jiro ("hole castle"). The Kaiko shrine on the ruins gave the park its name: Kaiko-en. Cherry blossoms in spring, foliage in autumn, views of Mt. Asama always.
Honjin Omoya was an Edo-period daimyō lodging — relocated, restored, and now open to the public. Honmachi Machiya-kan was a miso/shoyu factory; Waki Honjin Kumeya is now a cafe and inn. Several are designated National Important Cultural Properties.
One of Japan's most celebrated haiku poets lived in Komoro for three years during WWII. His house is preserved as a memorial museum right next to ZuCity's main coliving property.
The 3rd and 4th gates of the original castle — both designated National Important Cultural Properties. They anchor a self-guided walk through the old town.
Nunobiki Kannon Shakuson-ji was founded in 724 CE by the monk Gyoki. It's the 29th pilgrimage site on the Shinano Thirty-Three Sacred Places circuit, with a Kamakura-period miyaden (ornate shrine) inside the main hall — a designated National Important Cultural Property. The hall is built dramatically into a cliff overlooking the Chikuma River. Free parking; ~20-min uphill hike from the lot.
Komoro is so famous for soba that a major Tokyo chain named itself "Komoro Soba." The buckwheat grows in the surrounding mountains. Local shops have been perfecting the craft for generations. It's the real thing.
The people here are what make it. They invite us to festivals, bring us food, teach us things we didn't know we needed to learn. This isn't hospitality-industry warmth — it's real neighborly care. We're lucky to be here.
An active volcano in our backyard. It shapes the weather, the soil, the light. The official climbing season opens June 1; even outside that window, the views from Takamine Highland are unforgettable.
Komoro is in the top 100 cherry blossom spots in Japan. Every spring the Kaiko-en castle ruins turn pink and the whole town comes out. It's exactly as beautiful as people say.
Eight hot springs within a 30-minute drive — Komoro, Takamine, Tengu, Nakadana, Nunobiki, Hishino, Aguri-no-yu, and one more. While you're nearby, Senryū-no-matsu (潜龍の松) at Kaio-In Temple is a 370+ year old pine designated as a Komoro natural treasure.
Komoro's most explosive winter festival — towering paper-and-bamboo dashi (floats) are smashed to summon spring. Mid-January.
Locals pull rice-straw horse carts through town in this rare folk festival. April 1.
Citizens festival featuring portable shrines (mikoshi) carried through downtown.
Komoro's Gion festival has been carrying mikoshi through town for 1,000 years. Mid-July.
Two thousand dancers walk and dance through Komoro in this summer-night procession.
Exploring the natural beauty around Komoro — mountains, temples, local festivals, and the landscapes that make this region of Nagano so special.
A glimpse into daily life at ZuCity Japan — community gatherings, shared meals, and the coliving experience in rural Nagano.
Pick up at the Komoro Tourist Information Bureau. Regular ¥300/hr · city e-bike ¥500/hr · countryside e-bike ¥1,000/hr · mini e-bike ¥500/hr.
Members can borrow community kei-cars for runs to onsens, mountain trailheads, and Saku/Karuizawa errands.
Komoro Tourist Information Bureau dispatches local taxis. Tell them where you're going and they'll send the right company. Daily.
Tokyo via Hokuriku Shinkansen + Shinano Railway, ~1h40. Karuizawa: Shinano Railway, ~20min. Saku: JR Koumi Line, ~13min. Matsumoto: Shinano + Chuo, ~1h30. Takamine Highland: JR Bus, 2 trips/day, 37min, JR Pass valid.
Apples, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, prunes — the volcanic soil and 600–2,000m altitude produce exceptionally sweet fruit. Pick-your-own at Aguri-no-yu, Matsui Nouen, and other local farms. Famous local jams and sweets follow.
One sake brewery has been producing in Komoro for 170+ years. Several wineries operate in the surrounding hills — Manns Wines pioneered the Chikuma River Wine Valley, the heart of Japanese winemaking.
Komoro has been making soba for over 400 years — and uniquely serves it with walnut soup. The buckwheat grows in the surrounding mountains. Local shops have been perfecting the craft for generations.
Komoro has been making miso for 400+ years. Yamabuki Miso has been operating at the same site for over 330 of those. Sample fresh miso at Honmachi Machiya-kan, a former miso/shoyu factory 5 minutes walking from ZuCity properties.
Want to come see for yourself? Search Komoro on our map for available rooms and upcoming events.