I went to Karuizawa to catch autumn a little early. I had a feeling this autumn would slip by before I had a chance to enjoy it. It took exactly an hour from home. I had no idea the Shinkansen was this fast. The downside is the fare, around 10,000 yen round trip. For reference, the non-reserved seats are cheaper, but at busy times you might not get a seat at all. It may be better to leave at a quiet time of day, or to board the Shinkansen at Tokyo Station.
Karuizawa has long been a summer-villa area for aristocrats and the wealthy. It is not that far from Tokyo, and being on a highland plateau it is always cool. Apparently even in summer the temperature does not climb that high. That said, if you are out in direct sunlight rather than in the shade of the woods, summer is just as hot, so it is not entirely true. Maybe because it is such a famous summer retreat, it recently showed up as an episode in The Drops of God, too. Countless famous people, John Lennon among them, have come here, and after this visit I fell for it myself. It really is a wonderful place.
Karuizawa Station has a South Exit and a North Exit. The South Exit has the outlet mall and the Prince Hotel, but I decided to take my time with those after dark, so I went out the North Exit, rented a bike and headed for Kyu-Karuizawa, which is the real center of town. They charged a whole 1,050 yen to rent a bike until 5 p.m. It is pricey, but the bikes were very well maintained, which I liked. The brakes worked well, and the gears, only three of them, shifted smoothly. Considering that riding a poorly maintained bike is not only dangerous but also means you cannot get up to a proper speed, 1,050 yen did not seem expensive after all.
A street under a proper autumn sky
Not a soul around, though..
A side lane
I rode the route that the lady at the bike rental shop recommended. Locals always know best, after all. Cycling along quiet forest roads with a cool breeze in my face put me in a great mood. I got lost a few times along the way, but by keeping a close eye on the map I made it safely to Kyu-Karuizawa.
Forest scenery
It is not untouched nature but a somewhat man-made forest. Maybe that is exactly why it feels so welcoming. Nature itself, after all, has a way of rejecting the human touch. I cannot think of a better forest for a stroll.
Someone’s inner garden
Since it is a villa area for the rich, there are villas absolutely everywhere. For a very brief moment I thought I would like to make lots of money and build a villa in a place like this. Never mind a villa, though, even getting a home of my own is probably a long way off -_-;
The roof of Primavera, a famous French restaurant
This French restaurant is known nationwide and has appeared in The Drops of God. I would guess it is the most famous restaurant in Karuizawa. But when I went today, it turns out they are closed on Wednesdays. So sad. I just took a picture of the building and left.
Kumoba Pond
The name of this pond means “place of clouds.” It is not big, but the water was so astonishingly clear it took me by surprise. You could see right through to the bottom. Even the ponds at Japan’s Three Great Gardens are not this clear. Nature must play its part, but it could never be this clean without upkeep, right? I found myself thinking that this is what makes Karuizawa so impressive.
Upstream from the pond
Sparkling in the sunlight
Leaves and sky reflected in the pond
Looking at the surface of the water, you can see why the pond is named after a place where clouds gather.
Autumn sky
The leaves have not properly turned yet, but it feels a few weeks ahead of Tokyo.
Someone’s front garden
There are countless villas like this in private names. Some are in the names of organizations, too. The longer I looked, the more envious I got.
The former Mikasa Hotel
It is supposedly a historic building, but it was much farther away than it looked on the map. On top of that, the road was uphill, which made getting there by bike a real struggle. After all that effort to climb up, my bike was due back soon, so I headed back without seeing the inside.
St. Paul’s Catholic Church
Compared with churches in Korea.. it is really tiny, but the atmosphere inside is solemn rather than touristy. As I understand it, it was built by a priest who came to Karuizawa, fell in love with it and spent the rest of his life here.
Leaves in the villa area
I just took this because I like gradients.
A back street in Kyu-Karuizawa
Summer and weekends are probably peak time for a summer resort like this.. Now that autumn is slowly setting in, it is heading into the season when hardly anyone comes. I love a quiet atmosphere with no crowds, so visiting at a time like today was just right. I liked this trip so much that I want to come back again. The Shinkansen fare is a bit steep (that money would get me to Kamakura and back about five times), but it would be nice to get the chance to go around next summer..
To wrap up the trip, I visited Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza, the Prince outlet mall. It is fairly large, and it looks like they are expanding it with construction work, but as expected it does not match Gotemba. Rather than coming here for outlet shopping, it seems best used for picking up one or two things you need while you are in Karuizawa anyway.