Day 7: Nagano
We had another day in Matsumoto, but instead of exploring the city and its surroundings, 5 of us went to Nagano, the city that hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998. We took a train to Nagano station and from there we walked towards the Zenkõji Temple complex.
On our way to the temple complex, we walked passed this store which sold fruits. We wanted to buy some bananas, but now matter how much we called, no owner or clerk showed up. So, we took 5 bananas and left the money that was written on the price tag, along with the price tag at the register.
The Zenkõji Temple complex has several buildings and gates to see and visit. The main building of the complex, the Zenkõji Hondõ (Main Hall) has a dark underground tunnel system, where you can walk around in total darkness in search of a wall mounted "Key to Paradise". Of course we didn't found the key.
After the temple complex, we had lunch and then took a taxi to the M-Wave, the Olympic Ice Skate Hall especially build for the Winter Games. It's still used for skate competitions, but also for shows and conventions during the summer. We also visited the museum inside, looking at all the memorabilia from the athletes and the Olympic Games.
In the early evening we had dinner and then returned to Matsumoto for our last night there.
