A Guide to Old Karuizawa Ginza Street, Karuizawa’s Main Street

Old Karuizawa developed as a destination for wealthy villa owners after a Canadian missionary opened a summer home there in 1886, followed by many foreigners and prominent Japanese figures building villas in Karuizawa.
Later, trends such as the pension boom helped draw large numbers of tourists, especially in summer, and more shops catering to visitors opened.
As a summer retreat, many shops once operated only during the summer season and remained closed in winter, but after the partial opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 1997, tourists began visiting throughout the year.

Old Karuizawa Ginza Street is home to many restaurants and a great selection of street food.
A sausage specialty shop called Chozumeya sells hot dogs filled with piping-hot sausages so large they stick out of the bun.
Other famous treats include soft serve made by a cheese shop, popular gelato, and the Mikasa Hotel Curry Bread, which recreates the legendary curry once served at the historic Mikasa Hotel.
There are also many restaurants where you can relax and enjoy lunch or dinner.
From Japanese restaurants using Nagano ingredients and traditional seasonings to authentic Italian spots baking pizza in wood-fired stone ovens, both the food and atmosphere are part of the appeal.

In the historic villa district of Old Karuizawa, there have long been many shops dealing in traditional crafts.
Even today, many stores let visitors casually experience traditional techniques and beauty, making them popular with tourists.
Glasswork, wooden carvings, washi paper, and plant-dyed crafts are just some of the many items that carry on traditional skills while blending with modern sensibilities, making them excellent souvenirs.
There are also many workshops where you can try making crafts yourself, so creating a one-of-a-kind original piece is highly recommended.
If you stop by Old Karuizawa, be sure to explore the world of traditional crafts.

Around Old Karuizawa Ginza Street, picturesque scenery can be found all over the area.
A classic Catholic church with a triangular roof and Kumoba Pond, where the green of the trees is reflected on the clear water like a painting, are must-see spots.
Of course, Old Karuizawa Ginza Street itself also has many scenic places with picture-perfect beauty.
Above all, the street has a retro and stylish townscape. Many of the buildings feel historic and have an air of foreign charm.
In particular, the tourist information center Karuizawa Tourist Hall, located almost in the middle of the street, was built in the style of a former post office from the early 20th century. This two-story wooden Western-style building evokes the atmosphere of that time, so many people stop to take photos.
Church Street Karuizawa is another popular mall filled with distinctive shops, where you can enjoy both the scenery and shopping.

A long-established bakery that has been loved by locals since it was founded in 1951.
Located on Kyu-Karu Ginza Street, Karuizawa’s main street, it is bustling every day with nearby villa owners and tourists. It is also famous as a bakery John Lennon often visited during his stays in Karuizawa.
Its signature French bread is joined by many other varieties, from classic loaves like English bread and square bread to sweet buns.

A long-established sweets shop that has been operating on Old Karuizawa Ginza Street since its founding in 1948.
You can enjoy a variety of sweets and also soba and udon that are perfect for lunch, including its signature Chimoto Mochi (235 yen), made with gyuhi containing brown sugar and kneaded with walnuts from Shinshu.
Among the sweets, one especially popular item is the Natural Shaved Ice (from 660 yen), made with natural ice produced in Karuizawa.

A stylish soba restaurant located Approx. a 15-minute walk from Karuizawa Station, near the Old Karuizawa Rotary lined with chic general stores and cafes.
Conveniently located near the entrance to the famous Old Karu Ginza shopping street, it is also a popular stop for a break while sightseeing. The restaurant also has locations at Harunire Terrace in Karuizawa and in Azabu and Aoyama in Tokyo.
Jazz plays inside, creating a refined space like a sophisticated dining bar where you can enjoy a relaxed meal. Terrace seating surrounded by greenery is also available, and pets are welcome there.

Located toward the far end of the main stretch of Old Karuizawa Ginza Street, where many shops line the road, this restaurant serves items such as chikara mochi and soba. The words “Chikara Mochi” on the noren curtain and lanterns mark the shop.
Its popular Chikara Mochi (570 yen), made with freshly pounded rice cakes, comes in bite-sized pieces and is loved for its soft texture and easy-to-eat size.

Opened at the Old Karuizawa Rotary in July 2015 as Sawamura’s second Karuizawa location after Harunire Terrace.
It is a popular shop that even nearby villa owners visit frequently to buy bread fresh from the oven at opening time.
At the attached restaurant, you can enjoy carefully prepared dishes made with seasonal ingredients from breakfast to lunch and dinner, all of which pair well with the bread.
At lunchtime, there is also the welcome service of free bread refills.

Mikado Coffee is Karuizawa’s oldest coffee shop, founded as a coffee roaster in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, in 1948 and opening in Karuizawa in 1952.
It has continued to be loved by visitors to Old Karuizawa for over 70 years.
In its retro atmosphere, you can enjoy a carefully crafted cup brewed from meticulously roasted, carefully selected coffee beans.

Atelier de Fromage is a cheese workshop founded in 1982 that produces high-quality dairy products with carefully selected ingredients and methods. This long-established maker was the first in Japan to begin producing “fresh cheese,” and today it creates distinctive cheeses using original methods based on techniques learned in France. The milk used as its raw ingredient is a blend of Jersey milk from Fromage Farm and Holstein milk from nearby farms. The ratio is adjusted depending on the type of cheese.

A community-based supermarket chain with 58 stores across Nagano Prefecture. To support local dining tables, it offers a wide variety of fresh Shinshu-grown vegetables, seafood, and more.
One of Delicia’s defining features is its original products developed with a strong focus on local goods. It offers “Shinshu Sodachi,” agricultural products passionately grown by farmers in the prefecture, and “Shinshu Umare,” processed foods made with ingredients from Shinshu. Shinshu Umare includes not only jams and juices, but also soba and alcoholic drinks unique to Shinshu, which is another nice point.

The name Quartet Brewing reflects the idea that the four main ingredients of craft beer, malt, hops, yeast, and water, come together in harmony to create even better beer.
In the taproom, you can try 10 kinds of beer, including seven original beers developed and brewed by the owner, a craft beer brewer. Another appealing point is that takeout is also available by weight, in cans, and in plastic cups.

A tourist hall with a retro wooden exterior that can be called the symbol of the Old Karuizawa shopping street. You can get a wide range of information here, from sightseeing to accommodations.
On the first floor, there is a general information desk with useful sightseeing information, a tourism exhibition area, and an audiovisual space. In addition to introducing Karuizawa’s famous spots, it displays a topographic model, making it an enjoyable space just to look around. There is also a rest area, so it can be used as a place to take a break during your walk.
On the second floor, there is the Karuizawa Railway Mini Museum, which exhibits valuable materials about Karuizawa’s railways, as well as a coworking space. It is also nice that the building has wireless LAN hotspot access.

A photo studio located on Old Karuizawa Ginza Street, one of the area’s main sightseeing spots. Dressed in outfits reminiscent of aristocracy, you can have retro commemorative photos taken in a sepia tone.
The owner personally selects the costumes, and around 50 to 60 glamorous Western-style dresses reminiscent of noble ladies and opera costumes are always available, so you can choose your favorite. There are not only dresses for women but also outfits for men, so family portraits are also possible. Another nice point is that pets can join the photo shoot as well.
On sunny days, you can also have photos taken outdoors in a Karuizawa-like setting with sunlight filtering through the trees, which is another part of the appeal.

The only Catholic church in Karuizawa, standing along “Watermill Road,” one street back from Old Karuizawa Ginza Street.
It has appeared in literary works such as Yasunari Kawabata’s Palm-of-the-Hand Stories and Tatsuo Hori’s The Wind Has Risen, and has long been loved by many people.
Designed in 1935 by American architect Antonin Raymond, who is often called the father of modern architecture in Japan, this church is characterized by its large spire and steeply sloped triangular roof.

An art museum that opened in 2012 in a renovated former commercial building.
The glass-fronted building, designed by architect Rikuo Nishimori, features white columns inspired by larch forests.
On the admission-free first floor, you can casually enjoy art at the gallery and the museum shop/book café.

A peaceful pond in Karuizawa, one of Japan’s leading highland resorts, and a classic stop on sightseeing routes.
It is also called Swan Lake because swans used to visit in winter when the surrounding area was a villa district for foreigners.
Fed by the pure waters of Gozensui, the pond is exceptionally clear, and the sight of larch and maple trees reflected on its mirror-like surface is breathtakingly beautiful.