1
Maruyama Coffee, Harunire Terrace

Karuizawa is home to many cafes and coffee shops, and perhaps because of the area's excellent water, a high-level coffee culture has been nurtured in the area. Among the many coffee lovers who gather here, Maruyama Coffee has been recognized by its surroundings as a leader in this world.
The main store in Karuizawa and 12 other stores in Japan opened in 2009 in the Karuizawa Hoshino Area, and the Harunire Terrace store is a spacious shop that also serves as a bookstore. The spacious store is also a bookstore.
Visitors can enjoy the pleasure of reading while sipping a cup of coffee in the forest-like atmosphere of the store. Aiming at an information-sensitive clientele, the store carries a variety of books, from architecture and art books that other bookstores do not carry, to lifestyle and cooking books, as well as sightseeing guidebooks.

The spirit of including latte art in take-out as well.

The "Harunire Terrace Blend," available only at the Harunire Terrace store, combines the savory flavor of coffee with a refreshing orange flavor. It does not lose its aroma even when milk is added. The deep-roasted "Maruyama Coffee Blend," despite its simple name, is well received for its rich chocolate flavor.

Inside the store, you can enjoy cappuccinos with latte artwork such as hearts and tulips, but surprisingly, take-out cappuccinos also have latte artwork. The spirit of drawing pictures one by one on things that are never seen after the lid is off. It is no wonder there are so many enthusiastic fans.

Maruyama Coffee Harunire Terrace

• 2145-5 Nagakura, Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano MAP
• 15 minutes by car from JR Karuizawa Station, 5 minutes by car from Nakakaruizawa Station of Shinano Railway
• From JR Karuizawa Station, take the Seibu Kanko Bus bound for "Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu via Kyu-Karuizawa" (20 minutes), and get off at "Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu" (a short walk).
• 8:00-19:00 (LO 18:30) (varies according to season)
• Open daily (closed temporarily)
• 0267-31-0553
• Charged（2 hours free if you spend over 2000 yen at Hoshino area)

2
Coffee House Shaker

This is a hideaway café where the best of Karuizawa is concentrated. You can enjoy the simple and natural charm of Karuizawa, which is not for so-called tourists.
Inside the early American-style building, chic Shaker furniture popular in the U.S. in the 18th and 19th centuries is placed to create a cozy atmosphere.
The owner's hobby is fly fishing, and he says, "I wanted to create a store that could only be found in Karuizawa and not in Tokyo. The store is decorated with fashionable clothing and tackle.
He grinds coffee beans upon order and brews each cup by hand using a copper pot with good heat conduction. The beans are an original blend specially ordered from Maruyama Coffee, a long-time friend. The coffee is served at the counter, which is the most exclusive seat in the house.

Shinshu-style miso sauce on hamburgers is exquisite!

The owner is currently focusing on burgers. To emphasize the meatiness of the burgers, lean Aussie beef is used for the patties, which are sandwiched between buns.
Vegetables are mainly grown in Karuizawa, and to give them a Shinshu-like flavor, they make their own miso sauce. This sauce is exquisitely delicious and creates a juicy flavor that can only be found here.
In addition, the handmade scones that have been popular since the opening of the restaurant are a rare treat, with only five sets baked each morning. Many people come for these scones, and they are sometimes sold out in the morning alone.
It is a wonderful café to visit with your loved ones, where you will be impressed by the owner's careful preparation of each dish and beverage himself.

Coffee House Shaker

• 3460-16 Nagakura, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano MAP
• 10 min. walk from Nakakaruizawa Station.
• 10:00-18:00 (from 11:00 in winter), 10:00-17:00 and 18:00-23:00 on Mondays
• Wednesday
• 0267-45-8573
• Free of charge
• Reservations: Available when available

3
Rizanbo

John Lennon of the Beatles loved Karuizawa, and this is the cafe he visited with his family in the summers from 1977 to 1979. I used to commute there by bicycle for about an hour from the Mampei Hotel, where I was staying at the time, and loved to drink the blended coffee and original "special blueberry juice". Even today, the cafe still retains the atmosphere of those days, and visitors can sit at the far end of the terrace overlooking the forest and experience the scenery that he actually saw.
Rishanbo is quite famous among John Lennon fans, who come from all over the world to visit the cafe.

Homemade cakes are popular

The most popular item is the "special blueberry juice," which has been made using the same recipe for over 40 years. And the homemade cakes change daily from a selection of gateau chocolates, lemon cakes, and baked cheesecakes.
The "Rishanbou Blend" is tart and less bitter, with a refreshing full-bodied flavor.
Also popular is the "Royal Sweet Vanilla" ice cream from Minoliya, a favorite of John Lennon and great writers of the day.

Rizanbo

• 820-96 Nagakura, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano MAP
• 25 min. walk from Nakakaruizawa Station
• 10:00～L.O. 16:00
• Wednesdays (closed temporarily, closed in winter from December to March)
• 0267-46-0184
• Free of charge
• Reservations: not accepted

4
NAGAKURAYA

A café and sundries where you can enjoy the bounty of Shinshu

It is a general merchandise and café store. It sells craft chocolates made in the store, baked goods, drinks, and sundries. In the café, we focus on local and healthy ingredients, and in the sundries, we create original products unique to NAGAKURAYA, including packages designed by Staff/staff members and collaborative products created through encounters with various people.

NAGAKURAYA's popular cookie series

The popular cookies come in a variety of flavors, including apple and tea, salt and lemon, Shinshu miso and cheese, butter, and cocoa. The packages with illustrations of bears and dogs that remind us of the store and Karuizawa are cute to look at, and are recommended for both personal use and as gifts for others.

NAGAKURAYA

• 333-1 Nagakura, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano MAP
• From Karuizawa Station, take the Seibu Kanko Bus [Express] Shiozawa-ko Line, get off at Shiozawa, and walk about 1 minute.
• 10:00-18:00 (Drink L.O. 17:00)
• Sundays and summer season are subject to change *Please check our Instagram for detailed opening days.
• 0267-44-4055
• Free of charge
• Baked sweets: Sold Thursday-Saturday

5
Coffee Opera

A long-established coffee shop established in 1982. Although it is located in the center of the old Karuizawa Ginza Street, once you step into the store, you will feel as if you have stepped back in time and entered a nostalgic world.
The interior of the stately store, which was relocated from a residence in the upscale residential area of Ashiya, was built in the image of the medieval English Tudor style. All the wood, including the one-piece counter, building beams, and floors, is made of pine.
Most of the furnishings, including the stained glass windows, are antiques. The blue tablecloths have also been used since the restaurant first opened, giving it a retro feel. You can enjoy a sense of authenticity and dignity that is hard to experience these days.

Hand-drip coffee with pot service

The coffee, hand-drip brewed by a master who has 40 years of experience in this field, is superb. Using Brazilian beans roasted in French roast, you can enjoy a sweet taste with a touch of bitterness.
The most recommended coffee is the Classical Opera Blend Coffee, served in a Royal Copenhagen pot. It is a luxurious cup of coffee. Specialty coffees, on the other hand, are served by the cup and have a softer, softer acidity.
In addition, the wide variety of cakes are all home-made. They go well with coffee.

Coffee Opera

• 12-7 Karuizawa, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano MAP
• 20 minutes walk from Karuizawa Station
• From Karuizawa Station, take the east or south bound bus (inner route) and get off at "Kyu-Karuizawa" bus stop.
• 10:00-18:00
• Open daily (April-November), closed irregularly otherwise.
• 0267-42-7833
• None
• Reservations: possible
  
  

6
Cafe Raffine

The brick building and the beautiful moss-covered garden are impressive. Located in a wooded area rich in nature, wild birds such as tits, red-cockaded woodpeckers, squirrels, and even flying squirrels sometimes come and go.
It is a beautiful place with budding fresh greenery in early summer and bright red autumn leaves. Visitors can enjoy the atmosphere of good old Karuizawa.
Opened in 1987. The store is decorated in an art nouveau style, and the aroma of deep coffee fills the air. The beans are aged old beans from "Kokutaildo". The owner grinds the beans upon receiving an order and flannel drips each cup of coffee.

5 bananas in one whole cake

The busiest hours are from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sweets served with coffee are popular. One of the most popular items is the banana cake, which contains five bananas in a single serving.
The sweet, fluffy whipped cream is heaped with so much that it is almost "too much," and yet it is extremely delicious. The rum accents go perfectly with the strong coffee.
The restaurant has a mature atmosphere with dimmed lighting, but the best point is the terrace. Because of the humidity, the fog creates a fantastic view. The moss garden in the forest covered with trees offers a unique Karuizawa-style café time.

Cafe Raffine

• 1663 Roppon Tsuji, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano MAP
• 15 minutes walk from Karuizawa Station.
• From Karuizawa Station, take the town bus bound for East or South (inward) and get off at Roppon Tsuji. 2 minutes on foot.
• 11:00-18:00 (subject to change depending on season, weather and schedule)
• Closed on weekends and holidays
• 0267-42-4344
• Free of charge
• Reservations: not accepted

7
Akaneya Coffee Shop Ekimae

A high-end coffee shop in front of Karuizawa Station that is easy to enter for women traveling alone. Opened in 1982 by the predecessor who founded the business in Kobe, it is a long-established business that has been visited by many people from the business and cultural world.
The store is filled with the rich aroma of coffee and classical music, and coffee cups hang in a row above the counter.
The coffee is ground to order, and each cup is hand-dripped before the aroma of the beans has been extracted. The master selects the cup that best suits each customer. You can also choose your favorite cup from a selection of nearly 400 cups.
Some of the cups are from overseas, such as Ginori, but most are from Okura Toen, which is famous for its high-end porcelain. The luxury of drinking from a top-quality cup is hard to find.

Carefully selected only the really tasty ones!

Coffee beans are roasted by Hagiwara Coffee of Kobe, a pioneer in charcoal roasting. The original "blended coffee" is brewed with a lot of beans, so you would expect it to be rich, but it is soft and tasteless, with a clean aftertaste. The taste is addictive.
The "Gureipu Juice" is a 100% straight grape juice specially ordered from Shinano Wine in Shiojiri. Shinshu grapes are not only squeezed, but also frozen to give it a rich flavor. The grapes are also used to make wine, so you will feel as if you are drinking a mellow wine.
The food menu consists of only two kinds of cakes, beef curry, and ham sandwiches. Since coffee is the main attraction of the restaurant, only truly delicious food items that go well with coffee are carefully selected.

Akaneya Coffee Shop Ekimae Branch

• 30-8 Karuizawa-higashi, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano MAP
• 3 minutes walk from Karuizawa Station
• 9:00-18:00
• Open all year round
• 0267-42-5435
• Free of charge (3 cars)
• Reservations: possible (private rooms available)

8
cafe Ryo no Oto

Deep in the villa area, surrounded by the sounds of wild birds. This café is located in an unexplored region, reached by walking along a narrow path through a wooded area.
The elegant building, believed to have been built in the Taisho era (1912-1926), has been selected as a registered tangible cultural property of Japan, allowing you to fully experience the atmosphere of Karuizawa in those days.
The cool sound of a bell welcoming you inside creates a nostalgic atmosphere. The restaurant is a nostalgic place, with tables carved in Karuizawa in the early Showa period and retro Taisho glass windows.
The owner recommends a sofa seat by the window. At the bird feeder, you can see a variety of wild birds such as titmice and mountain lions, and sometimes squirrels.

French toast with more fruit

It opens at 9:00 every morning. Many villa families and people from nearby long-established inns come for breakfast, and the restaurant is often full from morning on consecutive holidays. The restaurant also offers a wide variety of lunches and sweets such as taco rice and pasta.
The signature item on the menu is French toast, which is limited to 10 servings per day, so it sometimes runs out in the morning, but it is popular among women for its appearance and large amount of fruit. Another nice touch is the free refills of coffee. You can relax while reading a book.
This area is one of the most humid areas in Karuizawa. The area is often covered with fog, and you may be able to see fantastic scenery.

cafe Ryo no Oto

• 972 Kyu-Karuizawa, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano, House No.1138 MAP
• Approx. 30 min. walk from Karuizawa Station
• 10 min. walk from "Kyu-Karuizawa" bus stop on the town circulation bus (east/minami-mawari (inner route)) from Karuizawa Station.
• 9:00-17:00 (Morning 9:00-11:00, Lunch 11:30-16:30)
• Wednesdays (closed in winter)
• 0267-31-6889
• None
• Reservations: Accepted

9
cafe le petit ni trois

This is a relaxing cafe recommended for those who want to enjoy a good cup of coffee. Coffee beans are roasted in-house, and a savory aroma wafts through the store. The popular pancakes are baked on a copper plate, giving them a beautiful golden brown color. They are served with homemade preserved fruit (strawberries in the photo), butter, and maple syrup.

Specialty French toast that you should make a reservation to try!

Reservations are required for the famous French toast. The bread is cut into thick slices and soaked in the egg mixture overnight. The bread is then slowly cooked in the oven for 15 minutes, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth toast. It is generously dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar, but is also served with maple syrup and apple preserves.

Quiet time surrounded by old furniture

Originally a popular cafe in Mejiro, Tokyo for many years, it was relocated to Karuizawa in 2009. Surrounded by old furniture and sundries collected by the owner as a hobby, the background music is jazz, creating a high quality space. Coffee is roasted in the store's bay window space and each cup is carefully dripped. You can enjoy a rich café time with homemade cakes.

cafe le petit ni trois

• 1398-457 Hatsuji, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano MAP
• 6 minutes drive from Karuizawa Station
• 12:00-17:00
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
• 0267-48-3334
• Free of charge