Karuizawa: an elegant mountain resort in Japan
The town of Karuizawa is fairly close to Tokyo, making it perfect for exploring

Surrounded by forested mountains an hour by train northwest of Tokyo, the resort town of Karuizawa has long been a retreat for wealthy families fleeing the capital's summer heat, said Katie Kitamura in Travel + Leisure. It was here in 1957 that the Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko met. Later, John Lennon visited several times with Yoko Ono, who said it was "like the Hamptons, except it's in the mountains".
With its Alpine-style buildings, forest walks and outdoor onsen (hot spring baths), it is a deliciously quiet spot, with a "timeless allure". It's also lovely in winter, with good ski slopes nearby. And in recent years, renowned architects have built hotels and houses here, lending it "a new and decidedly modern appeal".
None of the town's hotels marry old and new more convincingly than Hoshinoya Karuizawa. Founded a century ago, it now consists of a "sprawling collection of pavilions" set beside a "burbling river" – a "minimalist fever dream" of a ryokan, or traditional inn. It has its own natural onsen, and its restaurant – which serves kaiseki, or multi- course, cuisine – is excellent.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Also beautiful is Shishi-Iwa House, a hotel with two buildings designed by the architect Shigeru Ban and one by Ryue Nishizawa. One of Ban's buildings "curves its way through the forest", while Nishizawa's is "a playful take" on the machiya, or traditional wooden house, with covered outdoor corridors and courtyard gardens.
Among the indispensable stops on a modern-design tour of Karuizawa are Shiongama (where ceramicist Shion Tabata creates "unique" tea-ceremony bowls), Kendrick Bangs Kellogg's Stone Church ("a marvel of organic form"), and Nishizawa's Hiroshi Senju Museum. There are also a dozen or so superb private houses that marry avant-garde design with an older Japanese sensibility, including TNA's Ring House, a tower with alternating layers of wood and glass – loveliest at night, when the glass layers appear to be free-floating.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Democrats: The 2028 race has begun
Feature Democratic primaries have already kicked off in South Carolina
-
The Pentagon's missing missiles
Feature The U.S. military is low on weapons. Can it restock before a major conflict breaks out?
-
Rescissions: Trump's push to control federal spending
Feature The GOP passed a bill to reduce funding for PBS, NPR and other public media stations
-
The Coldplay kiss cam affair: a cautionary tale
In the Spotlight The pair became 'the most googled people on the planet' after getting caught having an affair at a Coldplay concert
-
Connie Francis: superstar of the early 1960s pop scene
In the Spotlight The 'Pretty Little Baby' and 'Stupid Cupid' singer has died aged 87
-
Friendship: 'bromance' comedy starring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson
The Week Recommends 'Lampooning and embracing' middle-aged male loneliness, this film is 'enjoyable and funny'
-
6 head-turning homes for town house living
Feature Featuring a roof deck with city views in South Carolina and a renovated Harlem brownstone in New York City
-
Bookish: delightful period detective drama from Mark Gatiss
The Week Recommends 'Cosy crime' series is a 'standout pleasure' in an Agatha Christie-style formula
-
Music Reviews: Justin Bieber, Wet Leg, and Clipse
Feature "Swag," "Moisturizer," and "Let God Sort Em Out"
-
Film reviews: Eddington and Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
Feature A New Mexico border town goes berserk and civil war through a child's eyes
-
Art Review: Hilma af Klint's What Stands Behind the Flowers
Feature Museum of Modern Art, New York City, through Sept. 27