Obuse

Obuse (小布施) is a small town in northern Nagano Prefecture with a pretty town center. Hokusai, a renowned Edo Period (1603-1867) woodblock painter, who is best known for his ukiyo-e woodblock print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, spent the later years of his life in Obuse with his patron and student, Takai Kozan, a wealthy local merchant and art enthusiast.

Several of the town's highlights are related 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 well known for its seasonal produce, especially the locally grown chestnuts.