Woke up and finished packing and cleaning before we walked to get the train to Tokyo station. We accidentally went in and out of the station for our shortest ride (😊) then got on a train crowded with morning commuters. At the station, we got our paper tickets (they need to be used along with the Suica card) and then found some food for the train ride, along with coffee and pastries. Was something of a mistake, since it made us walk around with hands full. But we got through the gate to the train platform okay, but with not a lot of time to spare. On the bullet train, the fastest speed I clocked was a little over 170 mph, but most of it was at about 130 mph. The ride was super smooth, and the pastry was delicious but messy. The 1:45 hour train ride went by quickly. We got off the train at Nagano station and bought a 2-day pass for traveling around the city. Then we took a train to see the Zenkoji Temple after putting our stuff in a locker at the station. The walk took us through a commercial area of Nagano, the first part was pretty dead. More people were walking on the main road to the temple. Nothing super special about the temple. We walked behind it, where there was a pagoda that wasn't so impressive. Sat at a bench there and ate lunch before starting to walk back. One of the shrines nearby had a giant rotating prayer wheel that counted for building your goodwill with the deities, and another had a gong you could ring for the forgiveness of sins. We walked back to the station we had come from but missed the train going to the printing museum by about 1 minute. So we walked back into the city center, where Ann found a nice supermarket for us to get some food for dinner and beyond. Then it was into the station to retrieve our bags from the locker and get on the train to get us closer to our onsen. Was about a 45-minute ride to Yudanaka, where we got off and then took a local bus up to near the ryokan where we were staying. Ann had found a great deal on a 2-day transit pass that included entry to the Snow Monkey Park. We got to the ryokan just fine, it is set up more like a traditional Japanese inn, with thin mattresses on tatami mats and a low table for eating. We rested for a bit, had a little snack, then headed out to the nearby onsen hot baths. We ended up going to 3 of them. First one was pretty hot, second was just too hot. I put my feet in and they were burning. The last one was a little less hot. I got fully on all 3 but just briefly on the hottest one. We then walked back to our room and had a light dinner, then went to the single-sex onsen in the ryokan (the private one was occupied). It was cold in the room, only a little space heater, so we went there to warm up before going to bed. Water there was nice, just a little hotter than a hot bath. That was enough for the evening, we went back and tucked in.
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