Bus tour of art and culture in Karuizawa 2 days 1 night

Base for sightseeing in Karuizawa

Karuizawa Station is easily accessible by the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line, which takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes from Tokyo Station and 2 hours from Kanazawa Station, and is the base for sightseeing in Karuizawa, served by the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line and the Shinano Railway.

Karuizawa Sta. 10:00 departure on foot

Karuizawa New Art Museum

The special exhibition will include not only the world's leading contemporary Japanese artists and their group exhibitions, but also overseas artists, with an innovative approach that will meet the expectations of art fans from both Japan and abroad. The museum also plans to actively collect works by Japanese avant-garde artists, including works by avant-garde artists who belonged to the Gutai Art Association, whose international reputation has grown remarkably in recent years.

<Stay 90 minutes> Admission and viewing

See details

Karuizawa's main street

Both sides of the 750-meter Old Light Ginza Ginza Street are lined with long-established bakeries, coffee shops, souvenir stores, and eateries.

We will stop on our way home so we can check out the stores we are interested in as we head to our next spot.

A church nestled in a grove of trees

The oldest church in Karuizawa was the missionary church of the Canadian Alexander Croft Shaw, known as the "Father of Karuizawa," who made Karuizawa known as a summer resort.

Alexander Croft Shaw's villa has been restored next to the church as the "Shaw House Memorial" next to the church.

.

Old Karuizawa Ginza Street

The main street of Old Karuizawa. Old established bakeries, coffee shops, souvenir stores, and eateries line both sides of the 750-meter Old Karuizawa Ginza Street.
The Karuizawa Kanko Kaikan, a classic wooden structure, provides tourist information.

＜City walking and shopping including lunch

See details

Karuizawa Kanko Kaikan

Karuizawa Kanko Kaikan, with its retro wooden exterior, is a symbol of the old Karuizawa shopping street.
The first floor hall serves as a general information center that provides tourist information on the town and introduces accommodations, and has a rest area for visitors to rest between strolls and shopping.
A topographical model is displayed in the tourist exhibition space on the first floor. There is also an audiovisual space that introduces the highlights of the area.
The building is equipped with a wireless LAN hotspot for free Internet access (electrical outlets are not available). Public restrooms are available for a fee of 100 yen per visit (free for disabled persons/equipped with restrooms for disabled persons, changing rooms, and diaper changing stations).
The Karuizawa Railway Mini Museum on the second floor also displays valuable materials related to Karuizawa's railroads.

<Stay 20 minutes> Railway Museum, Diorama Karuizawa Kanko Kaikan 14:35 Departure

See details

Saisei Muroo Memorial Hall

Hours: 9:00 - 17:00 (April 29 - November 3)
Closed: Open daily during the period
Admission: Free

<Stay about 20 minutes>. Saisei Muroo Memorial Museum 15:00 departure

See details

Tennis court associated with the Imperial Family

A members-only tennis court located on the east side of Old Karuizawa Ginza Street, at the corner of Shaw Street and Auditorium Street.
It is famous as the place where Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress met. You can view it from outside the fence and enjoy the atmosphere.

Remains as it was when it was built

This two-story wooden villa was built in 1893 by Yujiro Hatta, a former naval colonel, and is a historical building that is still preserved in its original form more than 130 years after its construction.
It was said to be the first Japanese villa in Karuizawa.

.
Hatta Villa 15:20 → 10 min. walk → Old Karuizawa bus stop 15:39 (Kusakaru Kotsu) → Karuizawa Station 15:43

Adapt to your travel style

Karuizawa has long been a favorite summer resort for the cultured, and is home to a wide variety of lodging facilities, including sophisticated hotels.

Tomorrow, the course will take a bus departing from Karuizawa Station, so we recommend accommodations near the station.

Please have a good night's rest.
After breakfast, go sightseeing.

.

Base for sightseeing in Karuizawa

Kusakyu Kotsu Bus
Karuizawa Station (Southeast Inner Circulation Bus) 9:15 → Shiozawa Intersection bus stop 9:38, 8 min. walk from the bus stop.

The Beauty World of Hiroshi Senju

This museum exhibits a valuable collection of about 50 works by world-renowned Japanese-style painter Hiroshi Senju, from his early works to his latest creations. The interior of the museum, designed by architect Ryue Nishizawa, is filled with natural light, creating a bright and open exhibition space. Other facilities include a color leaf garden with approximately 60,000 plants and more than 150 varieties of flowers and grasses, Boulanger Asanoya, a museum store, and more.

Karuizawa Hiroshi Senju Art Museum 10:50 departure

Karuizawa Kogen Bunko, located on the shores of Lake Shiozawa, houses and exhibits literary materials of writers associated with Karuizawa. The Tatsuo Hori Villa, Takeo Arishima's villa, and Yayoko Nogami's study have been relocated to the site, and are part of the preservation of Karuizawa's villa architecture.

Karuizawa Station
Karuizawa Hiroshi Senju Art Museum 11:50 departure

Enjoy lunch around Lake Shiozawa.

Karuizawa Picture Book Forest Art Museum (Moose Forest)

This museum specializes in picture books, exhibiting rare original illustrations and first editions of picture books, mainly European and American picture books. There are seasonal exhibitions and a picture book library with a collection of approximately 1,500 books, and a permanent exhibition of "Peter Rabbit™" in the third exhibition hall. Visitors can immerse themselves in the nostalgic world of picture books.
　The "Picturesque Garden," which connects the museum to the surrounding forest, was created by English landscape designer Paul Smither. Enjoy the changing nature of Karuizawa as it changes with the seasons.

See details

Eltz Toy Museum, Karuizawa (Moose Forest)

This museum collects and exhibits high-quality European educational toys that provide good play and wooden toys that have been handed down for more than 300 years in the Erz region of Germany by meisters (craftsmen who pass on advanced skills).
At the "Wooden Toy Shop," visitors can purchase traditional wooden crafts directly imported from the Erz region of Germany. The "Picture Book Shop" offers nostalgic picture books, Western picture books, and original goods.

<Stay for approx. 120 min> Picture Book Forest Art Museum and Erz Toy Museum (Moose Forest) together. Erz Toy Museum 14:55 departure Get on at Shiozawa intersection bus stop (Express Shiozawa-ko Line) 15:08 → Get off at Karuizawa Station 15:27, 8 min. walk from the bus stop.

See details

Private museum exhibiting only the works of Tsuguharu Fujita

The museum opened in October 2022. Tsuguharu Fujita (Leonard Fujita) is highly popular for his paintings featuring cats and women, and many of his works are in the collections of public museums.
Yasushi and Megumi Ando, the couple who collected the works, opened a private museum. It is the first museum in the world to exhibit only the works of Tsuguharu Fujita.
The concept of the museum is comfortable, as if you were invited to the "home of Mr. and Mrs. Ando," and some of the exhibition rooms are open for photography, which is unusual for a Fujita work.

Karuizawa Ando Art Museum 16:30 departure

The end of the trip is at Karuizawa Station

The course ends with a return to Karuizawa Station.

16:56 (Asama) → Tokyo Station 18:12
17:36 → Kanazawa Station 19:35