Karuizawa
Karuizawa, A Cool Highland Resort Town In Nagano Long Favoured As A Summer Retreat From Tokyo, With Larch Woods, Chapels, Cycling, An Old Shopping Street And A Large Outlet Mall. Quiet In Winter, Crowded On Summer And Autumn Weekends. · Karuizawa, Nagano
Karuizawa is a highland town in Nagano, about an hour from Tokyo by the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and has been the capital's summer escape for well over a century. The air is cool, the woods are larch and birch, and the town is quieter and greener than the city. Highlights are the old Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza shopping street, chapels such as the Shaw Memorial Chapel, Kumoba Pond, Shiraito Falls and cycling on rented bikes. A large outlet mall sits by the station. Mount Asama, an active volcano, looms overhead. It suits couples, families and anyone who wants an easy, relaxed weekend away without a long journey. Be honest about the downsides: it is very crowded on summer and autumn weekends and holidays, hotels fill, and winters are cold and snowy, with many shops shut. It is a good, simple add-on to a Tokyo stay, but not a place to cross the world for. The 1998 Olympics used venues nearby for curling and skating.
Karuizawa, Nagano, around Karuizawa Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, about an hour from Tokyo; the old town centre is Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza, Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan
The town is open all year, but the best season runs roughly May to October. Shops, cafes and sights usually keep daytime hours, commonly 10:00 to 17:00 or 18:00 - confirm. Many close one weekday and several shut for winter. The Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo takes about an hour, and the outlet mall by the station is open late - confirm. Local buses are infrequent, so rent a bike or take a taxi. Book hotels well ahead for summer, Golden Week, Obon and the autumn colour. Cash is still useful at small cafes and chapels, though IC cards work on local buses.