A Weekend Getaway
After I left my job at a tech company in 2019, I decided to take a break from international travel and focus on traveling around Japan. Little did I know that I’d be forced to do exactly that for a couple of years. In the fall of 2019, I made a list of all the places I hoped to visit in Japan. I added Karuizawa to that list, but every time I had the opportunity to travel, hotels were booked, roads weren’t easy to navigate due to snow, or there were restrictions to travel in Japan.
Last week, we decided to plan a last-minute trip to get away and relax. Karuizawa was the perfect location to do this because it’s nestled in the mountains of Nagano. The mountain resort town is located near Mount Asama and has been a fashionable destination since the 1800s. It is quite popular for its snow in the winter, cooler temperatures in the summer, and serene views all year. Furthermore, it has a long history with Christian missionaries. Because of this, many churches, Christian-inspired business names, and western style buildings can be found throughout the city. Additionally, the imperial family has often visited Karuizawa as a summer retreat. With such a storied and unique history as well as beautiful scenery, who wouldn’t want to visit at least once?
On Saturday at 6:00 am, we began the journey to Karuizawa. It’s not too complicated to drive there from Aichi, but few large parking or service areas exist along the way we chose. Most are small and have very limited offerings. Since we only stopped once, we arrived in Karuizawa just after 10:00 am.
Because there were no good coffee shops on our journey, the first thing we did was find a cafe. Most of them were Japanese style and served Mikado coffee. We were in the mood for lattes and a little food though. Natural Cafeina stood out to us because they offered juices, smoothies, acai bowls, bread, desserts, and of course coffee and lattes. Once there, I settled on a coconut latte. It was phenomenal and the perfect start to my time in Karuizawa. The cafe had a cute vibe and was filled with many plants and quirky furniture. The atmosphere was very bohemian and cozy with very welcoming staff.
After feeling caffeinated, we decided to explore downtown. There were many local shops, tourist sites, and other interesting things. Amid all of this, some stores catered to older women, and others were for pets. (As a side note, this town is a dog lover’s paradise. There are dogs EVERYWHERE.) In the local food shops, the sheer number of jam flavors was shocking to me. Some, like rhubarb, I’ve rarely seen in Japan, and most were all natural without added colors. While the natural goods intrigued me, another shop caught my eye.
My favorite boutique along the way had to be Bartender’s General Store. Inside the shelves were stocked with various liquors, bitters, aromatics, and other goods to stock your bar. They offered one of the best selections of unique whiskies that I’ve seen at a small store in Japan. Most were Scotch or Japanese. (Hence, why I went with whisky over whiskey.) While I perused all the options, I ended up not purchasing anything because I simply couldn’t decide. The window shopping was fun though!
After this, we were very hungry and decided to visit Sawamura, a famous restaurant and bakery for lunch. The restaurant was extremely busy, so we decided to eat at the bakery. Sawamura has a fantastic location at Midland Square in Nagoya. I often go there to buy bread or eat lunch when I have limited time. The selection is usually quite varied. Nevertheless, this wasn’t the case for the Karuizawa location though. They had limited choices of both hot sandwiches and bread, so I settled for a ham and cheese panini. It was very underwhelming. The only positive to it was the outdoor seating options. Many people say that you should try Sawamura when visiting Karuizawa, but I’d say skip it and try a different lunch spot for a better experience.
Our next stop was the Quartet Brewing taproom. When I travel, I generally visit at least one craft beer taproom or pub. The interior was minimalistic with a few bar seats, counter seats, and standing tables. They had nine beers on tap and a cooler filled with cans and bottles. I tried the Quartet IPA on tap, and it was decent. The only downside to the taproom was that the building’s exterior was being renovated and the whole area smelled of paint fumes. We quickly left after I had one beer. I think it would be a relaxing place to sit and sip a beer when there aren’t major renovations.
We walked from Quartet to Kumoba Pond which was about a kilometer or so away. The route to the pond was lined with many houses and cabins. Some were nice while others had fallen into disarray. A few of the cafes along the way were named after the archangels. Upon reaching the pond, I was surprised to find it was bigger and more beautiful than I expected. A few years ago, I visited the famous Instagram location Monet’s Pond in Gifu only to be disappointed. I thought this pond might have been the same. However, that was not the case. We enjoyed walking around the pond, looking at nature, and watching the ducks. It was extraordinarily peaceful even though there were many people around.
Meanwhile, we couldn’t check into the hotel yet, so we decided to drive about 20 minutes to Shiraito Falls. The drive there was lovely, and there was ample parking. Both are big pluses in our book. Near the parking, there are a few small roadside shops and a toilet. (I use the term toilet because this is what they are called in Japan.) From the parking area, the falls are a short walk. There were many people there getting their shots for Instagram, but I was able to get a few good pictures after waiting a few minutes.
Like Monet’s Pond in Gifu, this is another place that looks much more mystical on Instagram. I heard that it wasn’t as spectacular in person, therefore, I was completely prepared. Since the path to the falls smelled like fall and was covered in leaves, that more than made up for the underwhelming waterfall. Even though Shiraito Falls wasn’t the best place I’ve seen, the surrounding area was beautiful and made for great photos. If you have time to visit while in Karuizawa, it’s worth adding to your list. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t make any special effort to go. After grabbing a few photos and reading about bears in the area, we drove down the mountain.
Finally, it was time to go to Shishi-Iwa House for check-in. You can read more about the hotel in the next post. I highly recommend this hotel if you want to be close to nature and in a quiet location.
Once we settled into the hotel, we decided to go out shopping and to dinner. We had a 7:15 pm reservation near the hotel. That gave us a few hours to shop at the Prince Outlet Mall. The best part of the outlet was the Christmas décor. Most of the stores had nothing that interested me. Even stores that I typically like seemed to have very little. If you want to experience a Japanese outlet mall or have a specific shop in mind, you should check it out. It’s a nice walking area even if you don’t plan to shop. Be aware that parking can be a bit hectic though.
We quickly bored with shopping and went to Harunire Terrace near our hotel. Although we knew things in Karuizawa closed early, we thought that we’d be able to get a seat at a cafe or browse a couple of shops before dinner. We were VERY wrong. When we booked our reservation at Kisurin, a Chinese restaurant, they asked if we wanted the 5:00 pm or 7:15 pm seating. We wondered why anyone would choose the 5:00 pm option but quickly realized that it is because the whole shopping area (except for restaurants) closes at 6:00 pm. We ended up sitting in the car and chatting for half an hour before our dinner reservation.
Kisurin was outstanding. There are only about 10 or 11 counter seats that overlook the kitchen and a small table outside. Being someone who loves to cook, I really appreciated how the main chef cleaned as he went along and stayed organized. The food was served at a good pace even though we ordered everything at once. We ordered gyoza, Szechwan soft-shell crab, sweet and sour pork, crab fried rice, and dan dan noodles. The only dish that I wouldn’t order again is the gyoza. The flavor was a bit too light for me. The soft-shell crab was my favorite dish. It was fried, covered in a Szechwan sauce, and topped with coriander and fried coriander roots. The restaurant’s atmosphere was alive but also relaxing. There was a lot of energy in the kitchen, but guests could relax and enjoy food at the counter. If you are traveling to Karuizawa with a small group, I highly recommend having dinner there.
We returned to the hotel after dinner with the intention of having a nightcap at the bar. Nevertheless, exhaustion caught up with us. We opted for relaxing in the room and sleeping early. Because of the cool temperatures, comfortable bed, and fresh mountain air, I rested better than usual.
The next day, we leisurely hung out in the hotel before our 8:00 am breakfast reservation. Following breakfast, we walked around outside before going to Harunire Terrace to get a latte and do some shopping. We decided to leave Karuizawa early to go to neighboring Saku before heading to Kiso and then home. Our trip to Karuizawa was exactly what we needed.
If you are looking for the perfect mountain vacation, check out Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture. It’s only a couple of hours from Tokyo and a few hours from Aichi as well. Even if your Japanese skill isn’t high, many people speak English in the area. Check out some of these places if you visit Karuizawa. Be sure to let me know what you think! For a few more images, be sure to check out my Instagram page.
