To Winter Nagano with the Kyun Pass —Packing in Hot Springs, Temples, and Stamps—

Time just keeps slipping by while my destination remains undecided.

I had already purchased the JR East "Kyun Pass" early on, but I couldn't decide on the most important part: the destination.

I want to go to a hot spring. Or.
I want to visit a region I've never been to. Or.
I want to ride a local train. Or.
If possible, I want to tackle the wide course of the Legend Train Stamp Rally. And so on.

I had too many expectations and desires packed into a limited schedule.

And so, Bessho Onsen was decided upon quite last minute.

I had been curious about Ueda for a while after learning there was a physical store for an online used bookstore there. It's closed this time, but I should still be able to enjoy the hot springs and the local train.

Taking the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Ueda. My first time riding it.

Outside the window, the mountains are close.
The "distance to the mountains" is as close as it is in my local hot spring area.
Ah, places like this always have hot springs, don't they.

The contrast from the flat lands (=Chiba) makes me realize I've come a long way.

From Ueda, I take the Ueda Electric Railway Bessho Line.

The "just right" feeling of a local train.
It doesn't feel too flashy, yet it runs with a sense of pride.

While buying my ticket, I couldn't help but buy an original hand towel.
And I use it right away. Travel gear is meant to be used immediately.

I spot the word "Ley Line" at an intermediate station.
It seems to be a shrine located on the summer solstice ley line. A place where the sun's path and faith overlap.
I have a connection to the spring/autumn equinox ley lines (Tamasaki Shrine in Kazusa-Ichinomiya),
but there's also a summer solstice ley line? I'll have to visit again.

The final stop, Bessho-Onsen Station.
A station building with a great atmosphere. Next to it, the body of a train that used to run is also on display.

Heading to a day-trip hot spring near the station.

Here, I have my first "drinking spring water" experience.
A sulfur spring. It tastes slightly like eggs.
I've never drunk the water used to boil eggs, but I'm sure this is exactly what it would taste like.

It was a rather primitive experience, taking in the hot spring both inside and outside my body.
Even after getting out, my core felt warm for a while.

Since I'm here, I'll visit Kitamuki Kannon.

And now, the biggest shock of this trip.

The water basin is a hot spring.

It's warm. Steam. A faint scent of sulfur.
And it's even approved for drinking. You can seriously rinse your mouth with it.

An experience with so much going on: purifying myself in a hot spring before visiting the temple.
I poured hot water over the Jizo statue and finally tried getting a temple stamp.
I collect quite a few shrine stamps, but this is my first temple one.

Multiple firsts—this is why I can't stop traveling.

With a hot spring bun and an oyaki in hand, I head back to Ueda.

I warp one stop on the Shinkansen to Nagano.

Got the Nagano Station stamp.
But there's a trap here.

The stamp is inside the ticket gate, but the NewDays for exchanging the prize is outside.
If you get the order wrong, you're out of luck. That was close.
I bought the Suica Penguin (sadly discontinued) yuzu shichimi at NewDays, cleared the conditions, and got the souvenir.

Since I'm here, I'll go to Zenko-ji Temple.

It's a weekday in February, so it should be the off-season, but there are a lot of people.
I wonder if about half of them are inbound tourists.

I visited in a hurry and got my stamp.
I want to take more time walking down the approach. It was a struggle to resist the temptation of all the street food.

On the temple grounds, alongside amulets and charms, they were selling BEAMS collaboration goods.
I was impressed by such an unexpected collaboration.

Before the Shinkansen ride home, I look for oyaki one more time.

The oyaki from the hot spring bun shop had a fluffy dough, just like the buns.
Aren't oyaki supposed to have more of a 'skin' texture?

I searched everywhere, but the nozawana was sold out.
I bought cabbage instead.

The moment I ate it, I felt a sense of déjà vu.

It's gyoza.

Are Nagano and Utsunomiya closer than I thought...?

Taking the Shinkansen from Nagano.
I head home while eating a bento.

Hot springs, local trains, stamps, temples and shrines, and oyaki.
Even though I tried to do too much, it all came together in the end as 'Winter in Nagano'.

Perhaps the Kyun Pass wasn't just a ticket to decide where to go,
but a device to make me rethink the 'reasons why I want to go'.

The proximity of the mountains, the scent of the hot springs, and the color of the stamp ink.
All of that became my memory of winter in Nagano.