A scenic spot to visit in Karuizawa is Karuizawa Lake Garden (軽井沢レイクガーデン). The spacious ground of around 33,000㎡ is divided into 8 areas. Each of them is skillfully designed so that while the plants grow freely with minimal human touches, the gardens still appear to be picturesque. So as you stroll around Karuizawa Lake Garden, […]
Karuizawa’s Best Flower-Adoring Spot: Karuizawa Lake Garden Read More »
As one of Japan’s best highland resorts, Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture has many charms, and one of them is the delicious food and drinks served in the lovely town. The spots with a nice ambiance are the perfect places to stop by after spending a couple of hours exploring. Because cafés and restaurants are almost
The Recommended Cafés and Restaurants in Karuizawa Read More »
Walking around Karuizawa, you might start to imagine a life of owning a villa in this wonderful town. While this isn’t practical for most of us, you can visit Café Susu no Ne (旧軽井沢Cafe涼の音). This national tangible cultural property was a private villa of an American diplomat, Edwin O. Reischauer. Because the furnishings were left
Café Susu no Ne and Murō Saisei Commemorative House Read More »
If you like curry or spices, visit Sajilo Cafe Forest (サジロカフェ・フォレスト), close to Karuizawa’s best gelato shop, L’ibisco! Following the alley from Old Karuizawa Ginza Street, you will soon see a cute white house in the leafy area. Sajilo means cozy in Nepalese. While it doesn’t have a typical curry house look, you will surely
Sajilo Cafe Forest: Karuizawa’s Best Vegan-Friendly Spot Read More »
Whether you are after an accommodation facility or not, Mampei Hotel (万平ホテル), close to Old Karuizawa Ginza Street, is worth a visit. With its top-quality hospitality, the well-kept hotel, partially Westernized and re-opened in 1894, is still one of the best hotels in Karuizawa. In addition, it is the hotel that John Lennon loved!
The Ultimate Guide to Karuizawa’s Best Hotel: Mampei Hotel Read More »
A unique place to visit in Nakamachi Shopping Street (中町商店街) is the Matsumoto City Hakari Museum (松本市はかり資料館), which is full of measuring instruments. It is one of the best places to learn about various scales and weights used across the globe from various eras.
Matsumoto City Hakari Museum and the Weight from the Past Read More »
Among the many islands floating on the Seto Inland Sea, Mu Island, or ‘Mushima’ (六島) in Japanese, is probably the most gorgeous. Okayama Prefecture‘s southmost island is known for the picturesque view of daffodil flowers and a white lighthouse with the azure blue ocean as the backdrop. On top of that, not only will you
Mushima: A Daffodil Island with Many Friendly Cats Read More »
You might have heard of cat cafes, but did you know there are cat islands? In Japan, some small islands are nicknamed cat islands by the locals because there are more cats than humans living on the island. Due to the cat boom from the early 2000s, many of these islands have become popular tourist
Aino and Uma Island – The Hidden Cat Islands in Fukuoka Read More »
Speaking of the Seto Inland Sea, what will pop into most people’s minds is probably the Setouchi Triennale (瀬戸内国際芸術祭). In addition to the event’s main stage, Naoshima Island, there are a couple more islands where the contemporary art festival is held, and Ogijima (男木島) is one of them. But Ogijima isn’t all about the artwork.
Ogijima – The Artistic Cat Island on the Seto Inland Sea Read More »
East of Kumamoto City, in the middle of the Ariake Sea (有明海), Yushima (湯島) is a small island with a circumference of 4 km. Although the island doesn’t even have a convenience store, it has become a tourist spot because of its large feline population!
Yu Island – Kumamoto’s Cat Island and a Historical Landmark Read More »