Karuizawa: Mountain Resort Town for All Seasons

Summer and Autumn

Karuizawa became Japan’s premier mountain retreat in the 1880s when Canadian missionary Alexander Croft Shaw began spending summers in the highland town at 1,000 meters elevation, establishing a tradition of foreign residents and wealthy Tokyo families building vacation villas. Summer temperatures average 25 degrees Celsius when Tokyo broils above 35, drawing weekenders who fill the town’s cafes, galleries, and nature trails. The Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza at the station is one of Japan’s largest outlet malls with 240 stores.

Kumoba Pond, a 20-minute walk from the station, reflects surrounding birch and larch trees in mirror-still water, particularly striking in mid-October when autumn colors peak. The Old Karuizawa shopping street running from the Mikasa Hotel area preserves Meiji and Taisho era resort architecture alongside souvenir shops selling jam, sausage, and baked goods from local producers. Shaw Memorial Chapel, a simple wooden church where the missionary held summer services, sits in a quiet forest clearing.

Winter and Activities

Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort operates lifts from November through March, with runs descending from 1,155 meters served by artificial snow that supplements the natural cover. The resort’s proximity to Tokyo, just 70 minutes by Shinkansen, makes it the most accessible ski destination from the capital. Hoshino Onsen Tombo no Yu provides natural hot spring bathing in a modern facility set in forest for 1,350 yen, with outdoor baths especially appealing after skiing.

The Hoshino resort area also includes the Karuizawa Wild Bird Sanctuary, Stone Church designed into a hillside, and Harunire Terrace, a complex of restaurants and shops built around hot spring streams running beneath wooden deck walkways. Mount Asama, the active volcano visible from Karuizawa, last erupted in 2009 and can be partially climbed to the outer rim when alert levels allow. White Thread Falls in the forest north of town drops 3 meters across a 70-meter wide rock face.

Access

Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station reaches Karuizawa in 65 minutes. The town is also accessible by car via the Joshinetsu Expressway. Bicycle rental at the station costs 500 to 1,000 yen per day and provides the best way to explore the scattered villa area and nature trails. Combining Karuizawa with a trip to Matsumoto or the Togakushi area near Nagano City extends a Nagano Prefecture itinerary.

Dining and Forest Walks

Karuizawa’s dining scene reflects its resort heritage, with French-influenced restaurants, Italian trattorias, and Japanese soba shops competing for weekend visitors. The Enju soba restaurant near the old town serves handmade buckwheat noodles using locally milled flour. Karuizawa’s signature souvenir is jam, with multiple shops selling preserves made from local berries, apples, and exotic flavors. The Usuitoge old pass trail from Karuizawa to Yokokawa follows the former Shinetsu Main Line railway route through 26 tunnels, now repurposed as a hiking trail with dramatic tunnel passages and mountain views. The six-kilometer walk takes about two hours and offers a unique perspective on Japan’s early railway engineering.

Art, Culture and Dining

The Karuizawa New Art Museum displays rotating exhibitions of contemporary Japanese art in a glass-fronted building on the main street. The Sezon Museum of Modern Art, set in forest north of the station, houses works by Klee, Kandinsky, and Rothko alongside Japanese modernists. John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent summers in Karuizawa throughout the 1970s, and the Mampei Hotel where they stayed maintains a cafe serving the royal milk tea they famously ordered. The dining scene reflects the resort heritage with French-influenced restaurants, Italian trattorias, and soba shops competing for weekend visitors. The Usuitoge old pass trail follows the former Shinetsu railway route through 26 tunnels, now a hiking trail with dramatic tunnel passages and mountain views over a six-kilometer, two-hour walk. Karuizawa’s signature souvenir is jam, with multiple shops selling preserves made from local berries, mountain grapes, and exotic seasonal flavors.

This content is for informational purposes only and reflects independent research. Details may change — verify current information before making travel plans.