Articles about Karuizawa and the Nagano highlands — resort town, shopping outlets, waterfalls, cycling and onsen.
Discover the top 12 things to do in Karuizawa: cycling through birch forests, shopping at Japan's best outlet mall, soaking in Hoshino Onsen, and spotting 200+ bird species.
Seventy minutes from Tokyo Station by shinkansen, at the foot of the active volcano Mount Asama (2,568 m) in Nagano Prefecture, lies Karuizawa — Japan’s most celebrated mountain resort town. For over a century, Karuizawa has been a summer retreat for Japanese aristocrats, foreign diplomats, and the cultural elite seeking relief from Tokyo’s summer heat and the press of city life. Today it remains one of the most charming and accessible escape destinations from the capital, combining natural alpine beauty with sophisticated shopping, excellent cycling, and the serene forests that have inspired writers, musicians, and artists since the Meiji era. […]