Karuizawa, Nagano, Chubu
Karuizawa (軽井沢町, -machi?) is a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.
Karuizawa is known throughout Japan as a popular tourist spot. Many couples and families from Tokyo will travel to Karuizawa to get away from the city especially in summer. There is a Shinkansen station as well as a large outlet store shopping mall. It is also known for its historic shopping street known as “Ginza dōri” or “Kyū-dō” (Ginza Street, or the Old Road).
Karuizawa hosted equestrian events in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The town also hosted curling in the 1998 Winter Olympics. To date, it is the only city in the world having hosted both Summer and Winter Olympic events.
The hilly spot used to a highland resort endorsed by western residents in Japan in the late 1800s. Today, it’s apart from being getaway place for the summer, Karuizawa is a land affordable only by the rich. It’s sort of like a resort where the rich kids go during the summer to spend their summer vacation, except, instead of the usual beach getaway, this is a hilly and cool getaway from the burning sun. There are various outdoor activities to look forward to in Karuizawa, such as tennis, hiking, cycling, golfing in summer and skiing and skating in winter. There are ample of shopping opportunities as well.
Karuizawa is located along the Romantic Road - Japanese version of the German’s Romantic Road.
You can get to Karuizawa by bus or by train.
By train from Tokyo:
Karuizawa can be reached from Tokyo Station in 65-80 minutes by Nagano Shinkansen. The one way journey costs about 5500 Yen.
By bus from Tokyo:
There are four highway buses per day between Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district (stopping at Sunshine City Prince Hotel and Ikebukuro Station) and Karuizawa. The one way journey takes three hours and costs 2910 Yen.
Source: Japan-Guide
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