What to know
Obuse (小布施) is a small town in northern Nagano Prefecture with a charming historic center. Hokusai, the celebrated Edo-period (1603–1867) ukiyo-e woodblock artist best known for The Great Wave off Kanagawa, spent his final years here as a guest of his patron and student Takai Kozan, a wealthy local merchant and art lover.
Many of the town's top sights are linked to the artist and his patron, including the Hokusai Museum, the Takai Kozan Museum, and the painted ceiling of a local temple. Obuse is also famous for its seasonal produce, especially locally grown chestnuts.
