Townapedia

Saku, Japan

佐久市

Saku is a town of 99,131 people in Nagano, Japan, founded in April 1, 1961.

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Population99,131 GeoNames
Local name佐久市
RegionNagano
Elevation684 m 2,244 ft
FoundedApril 1, 1961
Time zoneAsia/Tokyo
Land area423.5 km²
Nearest airportShinshu-Matsumoto Airport (MMJ) 51 km

Why visit Saku

Townapedia lists 117 museums and landmarks, 69 parks and trails, 144 places to eat, 26 places to stay and 19 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include Saku Ski Garden Parada, Saku University, 岩村田ヒカリゴケ産地 and 旧中込学校.

About Saku

Saku (佐久市, Saku-shi) is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2023, the city had an estimated population of 97,454 in 41,522 households, and a population density of 230 persons per km². The total area of the city is 423.51 square kilometres (163.52 sq mi).

From the Wikipedia article Saku, Nagano (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do19

Saku University

School · 5.8 km

Higher education institution in Nagano Prefecture, Japan

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小諸市動物園

Zoo and aquarium · 13.5 km

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物見山

Scenic view · 11.4 km

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茂来山

Scenic view · 13.0 km

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農産物直売所

Farm and orchard · 4.4 km

Open in Google Maps · +81 267 78 3383

Fujimi Viewing Platform

Scenic view · 13.5 km

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Mt. Kabutoiwa

Scenic view · 12.2 km

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Mt. Kumakura

Scenic view · 11.8 km

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まちの駅

Farm and orchard · 5.6 km

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五稜郭展望台

Scenic view · 2.7 km

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凧の峰

Scenic view · 10.4 km

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7 more on the map.

Museums and landmarks117

岩村田ヒカリゴケ産地

Monument and historic site · 5.6 km

国指定天然記念物

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旧中込学校

Monument and historic site · 2.5 km

1, 佐久市

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Saku Children's Science Dome for the Future

Museum · 6.1 km

Science museum in Nagano, Japan

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Tochibaraiwakage ruins

Monument and historic site · 17.4 km

Archaeological site

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佐久市立近代美術館

Museum · 4.3 km

5, 佐久市

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石橋供養塔

Monument and historic site · 9.3 km

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Tatsuoka Castle

Monument and historic site · 2.8 km

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佐久市立天来記念館

Museum · 12.2 km

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奥村土牛記念美術館

Museum · 9.2 km

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小諸市隣保館跡地

Monument and historic site · 13.3 km

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浅間縄文ミュージアム

Museum · 11.8 km

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105 more on the map.

Parks, trails and playgrounds69

停車場ガーデン

Park · Coffee Shop · 13.5 km

Mo-Su 09:00-19:00

Open in Google Maps · 0267-24-2525

乙女湖公園

Park · 11.2 km

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雪窓公園

Park · 10.9 km

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駒場公園

Park · 4.3 km

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ミレニアムパーク

Park · 6.9 km

24/7

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市民交流ひろば

Park · 6.8 km

24/7

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あいおい公園

Park · 13.4 km

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アスレチック広場

Playground · 7.5 km

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キッズ広場

Playground · 7.4 km

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けやき公園

Park · 6.6 km

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さくラさく小径

Park · 3.2 km

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ジリの木広場

Park · 13.3 km

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57 more on the map.

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Restaurants and cafes144

Saizeriya

Restaurant · Italian · 6.7 km

10, 佐久市

09:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +81-267-66-6167

甘味処 木もれび

Cafe · Cafe · 3.6 km

小林酒店内, 佐久市

11:00-15:00

Open in Google Maps · 080-1120-7069

Denny's

Restaurant · Western, Japanese · 6.7 km

1, 佐久市

Open in Google Maps · +81 267-65-7587

Coco's

Restaurant · Western, Japanese · 7.0 km

1, 佐久市

Mo-Fr 10:00-02:00; PH,Sa-Su 07:00-02:00

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ZINGARA

Restaurant · Pizza · 7.0 km

Fr-Tu 11:30-14:30,17:30-22:00

Open in Google Maps · 0267-67-8770

Cafe Trees

Cafe · Coffee Shop, Dessert · 12.5 km

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Cosmos Café

Cafe · Sandwich · 7.0 km

Mo-Fr 08:00-19:00, Sa-Su 09:00-19:00

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Hiraku

Cafe · Japanese · 7.1 km

Mo-Tu,Fr-Su 09:00-18:00 closed "毎月2回程度木曜日"

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Kuroneko-ken

Cafe · Cake · 12.5 km

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Kusabue

Restaurant · Soba · 6.9 km

蕎麦

3, 佐久市

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Lac Blanc GRILL & BARGER

Restaurant · Burger · 13.5 km

Mo-We,Fr-Su 17:00-22:00; Fr-Su 11:00-14:00

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Tully's Coffee

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 6.4 km

Mo-Su 09:00-20:00

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132 more on the map.

History

Saku is located in former Shinano Province, and by the Sengoku period it was home to the Ochiai clan, a samurai family that sided with Uesugi Kenshin during his conflict with Takeda Shingen in the 1550s. The Ochiai clan consequently fought for the Uesugi during the Siege of Katsurayama in March 1557; all Ochiai members who took part in the battle were killed in combat or committed suicide. During the Edo period the area of Saku developed as the castle town of Tatsuoka Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate and as a post town. Following the post-Meiji restoration cadastral reforms, the area was organised into Saku District, with the town of Asama, and the village of Higashi (from Kitasaku District) merging with the towns of Nozawa and Nakagomi (both from Minamisaku District) to create the city of Saku. On April 1, 2005 Saku absorbed the town of Usuda (from Minamisaku District), the town of Mochizuki, and the village of Asashina (both from Kitasaku District).

From the History section of Saku, Nagano on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay26

Churches and places of worship38

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Shopping47

Gas and EV charging21

Schools, colleges and libraries48

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Healthcare27

Map of Saku

250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Getting there and nearby towns

Shinshu-Matsumoto Airport (MMJ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 51 km away.

  • Ueda 27 km northwest, about 27 min by car
  • Tomioka 37 km east, about 37 min by car
  • Suwa 39 km southwest, about 39 min by car
  • Annaka 39 km east, about 39 min by car
  • Shimosuwa 39 km southwest, about 39 min by car
  • Yoshii 45 km east, about 45 min by car
  • Matsumoto 46 km west, about 46 min by car
  • Takasaki 50 km east, about 50 min by car
  • Suzaka 50 km north, about 50 min by car
  • Kanekomachi 51 km northeast, about 51 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built November 5, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.