For those looking for a short day trip that gives a taste of a relaxing Japan away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, Karuizawa is just a short 70-minute ride away by the Hokuriku Shinkansen. The area is a popular summer retreat for the Tokyo elites who are looking to spend their holidays away from the hot summer heat. Karuizawa is a premier resort town that is nestled at the foot of mountains in Nagano prefecture. The town is actually located at the foot of an active volcano, Mt. Asama, and is blessed with cool temperature during the summer. We did a far too short overnight stay at Hoshinoya Karuizawa.
Karuizawa is further divided into two main areas, Naka-Kaurizawa and Kyu-Karuizawa. From Tokyo to Karuizawa, we arrived at Kyu-Karuizawa and right next to the train station is the Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza. This is a huge outlet shopping area and you will find many familiar brands and small boutique shops.
The mall has a large food court with a wide variety of food. After we
Ramen Nishiki Kojuku Toribaitan specialty is a broth made from chicken. You can order either the
From the outlet mall, we took the Hoshino shuttle towards the Naka-Karuizawa area, where Hoshino resort resides. Nearby is rumored to be a mansion that houses one of Bill Gates vacation home.
Harunire Terrace is a trendy shopping and dining area. It features a beautiful wooden terrace and surrounded by the forest and river. When we visited in the summer, floating umbrellas that were swaying to the breeze provided shade to visitors and was a highlight for our kids.
From Harunire
Tombu no Yu – Public onsen 
Hoshinoya Karuizawa – for guests only
Hoshinoya Karuizawa is a beautiful modern ryokan. It is a harmonized blend of contemporary luxury with a traditional zen-like design that is unique to the Hoshinoya chain. We stayed here for an overnight stay and loved the resort. You can read more about it in my last blog. However, if you are only doing a day trip from Tokyo, Tombo no Yu is the public bath that sits outside the Hoshinoya Karuizawa. It is free for guests to use, and also open to the public for a fee.
About a 15 minute walk away from Harunire Terrace is the Stone Church. The church is an architectural wonder. It looks like something straight out of a fantasy novel, something that druids built during ancient times. In actuality, it was completed in 1988 and is a tribute to Uchimura Kanzo, the founder of the Japanese Christian movement. The church was actually built by an American architect, Kendrick Kellogg, who not only focused on the striking design of the church, but also ensured that it blended in with nature, including natural lighting, water, and air flow in harmony with its surroundings. The altar is used frequently for weddings, and underneath the chapel is a memorial to Uchimura Kanzo.
With the Stone Church, it wrapped up our small adventure to Karuizawa. We only did a short overnight stay in this small wonderful town, and barely scratched the surface of what it has to offer. One of the main areas included Kyu-Karuizawa that is an area famous for being a favorite retreat of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. You can follow their trail through some of their favorite eateries. Perhaps next time we’ll revisit Karuizawa, but we were off to our next destination, Kanazawa, during our trip through the Japan Alps Loop Itinerary.