Today the area is a convenient 1 hour from Tokyo by the Nagano Shinkansen bullet train. It was well-located during feudal times, too, situated as it was on the crossroads of the Kyoto-to-Edo Nakasendo and the Hokkoku road to the Sea of Japan. Then and now, travelers and culture mingle here. Attractions include Tomi City’s beautiful Edo-era post town of Unnojuku and the “castle-in-a-hole” Kaikoen in Komoro, a city connected to the writer Toson Shimazaki. The summer resort town of Karuizawa features missionary-related historical buildings, lots of natural features, and … an outlet shopping mall.