JP · Nagano Prefecture · 36.35°N 138.60°E

karuizawa

Cool forest retreat with outlet shopping, cafés and autumn colours, an hour from Tokyo.

Best time
Summer is cool and green but busy with Tokyo holidaymakers, especially in August. October brings autumn colour. Winters are cold, with skiing next to the station.
How long
1–2 days
Getting there
Fly to Tokyo (about 7 hours from KL), then take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Karuizawa in about an hour.
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JP · Nagano Prefecturekaruizawa36.35°N 138.60°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Cool forest retreat with outlet shopping, cafés and autumn colours, an hour from Tokyo.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingKaruizawaJP, Nagano Prefecture
KLkaruizawa
≈ 5,283 km from KL, as the crow flies
Kumoba Pond surrounded by autumn foliage trees in Karuizawa.

Photo: lumoplank · CC0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A highland resort town at the foot of Mount Asama, where Tokyo people have escaped the summer heat since the late 1800s. Expect forest walks, cafés, a big outlet mall right by the station and, in autumn, lots of red and gold leaves.

Makan

  1. Shinshu sobaNagano's famous buckwheat noodles, served cold with dipping sauce or in hot broth.Map ↗
  2. Jams and honeyKaruizawa is known for its fruit jams. They make easy souvenirs.Map ↗
  3. BakeriesThe town has a long bakery tradition from its Western-style resort days.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Karuizawa Prince Shopping PlazaA big outlet mall set around a lawn and pond, right next to the station.Map ↗
  2. Kyu-Karuizawa GinzaThe old main street, with shops, cafés and jam stores, near St Paul's Catholic Church.Map ↗
  3. Kumoba PondA small pond known for its reflections of the autumn leaves.Map ↗
  4. Shiraito FallsA wide, low curtain of thin waterfalls in the forest north of town.Map ↗
  5. Harunire TerraceRiverside shops and cafés in the Hoshino area, near the small Stone Church.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Rent a bicycle to get between the old town, ponds and churches.
  • Summer weekends and the Obon holiday in mid-August get crowded, and the roads around the outlets jam up.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.