KARUIZAWA

32 minutes by train direct on the Asakusa line: Oshiage Station ~ Tokyo Station - ¥220 - directions
1 hour 5 minutes via Hokuriku shinkansen: Tokyo Station ~ Karuizawa Station - directions

Karuizawa is a picturesque mountain resort town at the foot of Mount Asama. Known for its cool climate, charming European-style architecture, and lush nature, it's a popular getaway from Tokyo offering outdoor activities like cycling, hiking, and skiing in winter, as well as upscale shopping and dining at Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza.

Hire Car - Toyota Rent-a-car Karuizawa Station Store

95m / 1 minute on foot from Karuizawa Station - directions

• Rental Details

Pick up Karuizawa Station Store 11th November 10:00am ~ Drop off Kanazawa Station East Exit Shop 20th November by 7:00pm
Minivan/Wagon Full Package - W3 Class (Alphard or Vellfire) - + Child seat (extra 1,650JPY)
Cost: Roughly 276,650JPY *bookings open 11th August

Harunire Terrace - Early Lunch

13 minutes by car from Toyota Karuizawa Station Store - directions
Open: 10:00am ~ 7:00pm
Closed: No Closures

Harunire Terrace is a charming open-air shopping and dining complex nestled in the Hoshino area of Naka-Karuizawa, Japan. Set amidst a grove of over 100 Japanese elm trees along the Yukawa River, the terrace comprises nine buildings connected by wooden boardwalks, creating a serene atmosphere that blends seamlessly with the surrounding nature .

• ☕ Maruyama Coffee - Specialty Coffee

  directions
  Open: 10:00am ~ 9:00pm
  Closed: No Closures

  Maruyama Coffee is a renowned specialty coffee roaster founded in 1991 in Karuizawa, Japan. With a commitment to quality, founder Kentaro Maruyama personally sources beans from top farms worldwide, ensuring each cup reflects the unique characteristics of its origin. Signature offerings include the exclusive Harunire Terrace Blend, known for its gentle sweetness and smooth taste . The café also serves unique desserts like the Maruyama Coffee Original Tiramisu Langue de Chat and a hard-type coffee Baumkuchen, both popular as souvenirs .

• HARVEST NAGAI FARM - Farm Fresh Gelato

  directions
  Open: 10:00am ~ 6:00pm
  Closed: No Closures

  HARVEST NAGAI FARM is a charming farm-to-table gelato shop operated by Nagai Farm from Tomi City. The shop specializes in gelato made fresh daily using milk from their own dairy cows. Popular flavors include the signature "Pure Milk," as well as seasonal varieties like corn, pumpkin, and tomato & basil, offering a unique taste of the region's produce.

Onioshidashi Volcanic Park in Joshin'etsukogen National Park - At the base of Mt Asama

21 minutes by car from Karuizawa Wild Bird Sanctuary - directions
Open: 8:00am ~ 5:00pm
Closed: No Closures

Onioshidashi Volcanic Park is a striking landscape formed by the 1783 eruption of Mount Asama. The park's name, meaning "pushed-out demons," reflects the dramatic lava formations that resemble a sea of jagged rocks, creating a surreal, otherworldly atmosphere .

• Hike to Kannodo Temple - Dedicated to the god Kannon

  directions
  Route: Green Route (omotesando route) up, Blue Route (Urasando route) back. - 30 minutes total.

  At the heart of the park stands the Asamayama Kannondō, a Buddhist temple built in 1958 to honor the victims of the eruption . Visitors can explore various walking trails that offer panoramic views of Mount Asama and the surrounding countryside.
  

Head to Kusatsu Onsen accommodation

34 minutes by car from Onioshidashi Volcanic Park - directions

• Hotel Details

  Kusatsu Onsen Gensen Ichinoyu - directions
  Contact: +81279898122
  Address: 135 Kusatsu, Agatsuma District, Gunma 377-1711, Japan

  ‘Entire apartment - 1 bedroom loft style’ ‘free parking at sister hotel Kusatsu Now Resort Hotel’
  ‘private bath with yubatake waters’ *must be booked on check-in

  booking confirmation

Get changed into Yukatas, and wander the town center after dark

KUSATSU ONSEN

Kusatsu Onsen is one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, renowned for the high quality and abundance of its sulfuric waters. The town’s centerpiece is the Yubatake (hot water field), a striking wooden structure where steaming water gushes out and cools before distribution to nearby inns and baths. Kusatsu has a long history of therapeutic bathing and traditional yumomi performances, where locals stir the water with wooden paddles to cool it down. Surrounded by mountains, it also offers hiking in warmer months and skiing in winter, making it a year-round destination.

Yubatake - Night Illuminations

120m / 2 minutes on foot from Gensen Ichinoyu - directions
Open: 24 hours (night illuminations after dark)
Closed: No Closures

Yubatake, meaning "hot water field," is the iconic centerpiece of Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture. This geothermal marvel channels approximately 4,000 liters of steaming, sulfur-rich water per minute through a network of wooden troughs, cooling the water before it's distributed to the town's baths. The surrounding area is enveloped in a mystical amb

• Yubatake Footbath

directions
Open: 24 hours
Closed: No Closures

Adjacent to Yubatake is Yukemuri-tei, a traditional-style footbath pavilion constructed from cypress wood, modeled after an Edo-period bathhouse. This footbath is open 24 hours a day and free to the public, allowing visitors to relax their feet in the therapeutic, highly acidic waters renowned for their antibacterial properties.