Chino

About Chino

Just to the northwest of Tokyo, Chino is situated in a quiet valley in the Japanese Alps.  It has great access to hiking trails, ski slopes and some of the most beautiful nature Japan has to offer.  It’s also a short ride from Matsumoto for history lovers, who will enjoy the impressive Matsumoto castle.

Access

The easiest way to get to Chino is by taking the Azusa limited express train from Shinjuku station.  It’s about a two hour ride and you’ll get to see some amazing views.

You also have the option of the expressway bus which is quite a bit cheaper.  It also departs from the Shinjuku bus terminal and only takes about an hour longer than the limited express.

Finally, you could also just take the regular commuter train there as well.  You’ll likely have to change trains along the way, but it shouldn’t be too difficult.

Where To Work

Chino is a fairly small city so there won’t be nearly as many options at the big cities of Japan.  That being said, there are some nice coworking spaces spread out around the city.  Here’s one we particularly enjoyed:

• Work Lab Yatsugatake
  Situated in the department store connected directly to the station, this coworking space has a cool atmosphere and convenient amenities like sound proof booths for having video calls.  In our experience it’s also very economical 🙂
  

Accommodations 

Similar to the situation with coworking spaces, as a small town you won’t have as many options.  However, considering its close proximity to the Japanese alps there still should be quite a few options for Airbnb.  It might also be worth looking into Leo Palace which has short term rental agreements if you plan on a longer stay.

Things To Do

• Visit Lake Suwa, the lake made famous by the movie “Your Name”
• Day trips to Kami-kochi and the Japanese alps

• Visit Mastumoto Castle in the city of Mastumoto just north of Chino

What To Eat

• Soba Noodles

When in Nagano, eat soba!  This delicious noodle made from buckwheat is a popular dish in the prefecture and you’ll find some really high quality options if you look for them.

Difficulty Level:  Medium

Access to Chino is simple and the trains and buses make it easy to get around the area and up to cool sightseeing spots in the Japanese Alps.  However, Chino is quite a bit more rural so you’ll find less English support and less options for accommodation and remote working spaces.  That being said, it’s a great place to get away from the tourist-heavy areas of Japan and make some opportunities to practice your Japanese.