If you are a history and architecture buff, visit the Former Mikasa Hotel (旧三笠ホテル) when you travel to Karuizawa. It is a purely Western-style wooden hotel designed and completed in 1905 by only the Japanese. The hotel, equipped with the finest facility and furniture at the time, was loved by those with high social status […]
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You might already be aware that to the Japanese, trains are sometimes more than just vehicles that carry you from A to B. Unlike most countries in the world, Japan’s Sightseeing Trains don’t just run between the tourist attractions in the rural areas. They operate on normal train tracks between cities and prefectures, and compared
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Karuizawa, one of Japan’s leading highland resorts, is a great place to stay for a day or overnight trip from Tokyo. Since the Meiji period, the post town, Karuizawa-Shuku, has received many foreign visitors, which is why the traditional township now has several Western-style villas and churches. The town, filled with delicious cafes and restaurants,
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While many scenic natural spots are not usually close to a train station, Kumoba Pond (雲場池) in Karuizawa is just a 20-minute walk from Karuizawa Station! The spot that was nicknamed Swan Lake (スワンレイク) by Westerners is a place with a very calm atmosphere that you will surely love!
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Compared to the neighborhood around Karuizawa Station, the Naka-Karuizawa area is less commercialized, so you might be worried about not being able to find vegetarian/vegan food there. Surprisingly, there are a couple of good options in Naka-Karuizawa. Although getting to them requires a degree of effort as they aren’t located close to the train station, the food
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Just a station away from Karuizawa Station, Naka-Karuizawa has been gaining tourists’ attention! The area has abundant nature along the Yu River (湯川). But that doesn’t mean that heading into the wild is the only thing you can do there. In fact, it is the opposite! Starting with HARUNIRE Terrace, a modern commercial complex for
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Remaining unknown to many, the old post town, Oiwake-Shuku (追分宿), is just two stations away from Karuizawa Station. The area is filled with many historical buildings, so it is a perfect spot to escape from the crowd in Karuizawa‘s town center for a calm and traditional ambiance.
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Whether you believe in God or not, when you come to Karuizawa, there are a couple of churches that you may want to visit. Even if you have nothing to pray for, you will be amazed by the architecture and might even gain some inner calmness during your visit!
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In addition to Uchimura Kanzō Memorial Stone Church (石の教会 内村鑑三記念堂), another church that can excite architectural buffs is Karuizawa St. Paul’s Catholic Church (軽井沢聖パウロカトリック教会). Designed by the famous American architect Antonin Raymond, the church is another landmark in Karuizawa. It was where the first Christian wedding for non-Christians was held in Japan, and nowadays, a
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Karuizawa‘s natural spots aren’t just about waterfalls and lakes. Driving up the Usui Pass, there is a park close to the summit at 1,200m. The Usui Pass Observation Platform (碓氷峠見晴台) in the park offers a spectacular panoramic view of the ragged mountain ranges close by, including Mt. Asama, Japan’s Southern Alps and the mountains of
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