Local Guide
 7 selected souvenirs, from popular sweets to ham, recommended in Karuizawa

Food products made from vegetables and fruits nurtured in the rich nature of Shinshu are the perfect souvenirs, with many gems that will wow even the most discerning gourmets.
Because of the area's deep history as a summer resort for foreigners, it is also characteristic to encounter masterpieces that show honest attention to detail, such as long-established shops that continue to preserve the manufacturing methods that were used when the area was first established and Western culture was introduced. Take your time to find your favorites while envisioning the happy faces of the people to whom you are giving the souvenirs.

 Kokopelli Original Pasta Sauce 1,080 yen
Kokopelli Original Pasta Sauce 1,080 yen

Kokopelli, which puts as much thought into the quality and freshness of its ingredients as anyone else, has vegetables carefully grown by its own farm and local farmers on display in its stores from early summer through fall. Many visitors come to the store to enjoy the fresh vegetables.
In addition, jams, seasonings, and dairy products are also popular. The bottles and containers containing the products are simple yet sophisticated, making it easy to reach for them.

Among the many great products that make perfect souvenirs, the store's signature product is its original pasta sauce. The sauce, made from sun-ripened tomatoes, has an addictive taste with its original sweetness and just the right amount of acidity. We also recommend the pasta sauce filled with mushrooms from Shinshu.

Kokopelli Original Pasta Sauce 1,080 yen
Shelf life: 300 days from manufacture

Local Guide Comment
Vegetables from the company's own farms line the shelves from spring to summer, so we recommend buying morning vegetables and original dressing and eating the vegetables at home. Smoothies are also delicious.
Kokopelli
  • Address Hoshino, Karuizawa, Nagano (in Harunire Terrace) MAP
  •  Direction 15 minutes drive from Karuizawa Station
  •  Business hours 10:00-18:00
  •  Closed No
  •  TEL 0267-46-4355
  •  Parking Charged
 Hanamame (flower bean) dango ¥238
Hanamame (flower bean) dango ¥238

Izumiya, a long-established confectionery store in Karuizawa established in 1920, has launched a new brand "Izumiya Denbei" as its Harunire Terrace store. The store offers a wide variety of sweets, from traditional confections to sweets made with originality and incorporating Shinshu agricultural products, regardless of whether they are Japanese or Western in origin.
Shinshu specialties used in the sweets include apples, chestnuts, sweet potatoes, and a variety of other seasonal ingredients, but one that can only be found at this store is the "Hanamame Dango" made with Nagano Prefecture's famous Hanamame (flower beans). The smooth dumplings made from Nagano rice, Gorobei rice, and topped with hana-mame an (red bean paste) and large hana-mame (flower beans), are truly a taste of the local Shinshu region.

Korokorokurumi," made of nuts, almonds, and walnuts mixed with honey and syrup, has a cute shape and makes a great souvenir.
The store has a stylish atmosphere with displays of traditional Japanese confectionery making tools.

Hanamame dango: 238 yen
Best by the end of the day

Local Guide Comment
Although not a souvenir, we recommend the "Hanamame Soft Ice Cream" topped with flower beans, available only at the Harunire Terrace store, which is unique to Shinshu.
Izumiya Denbei
  • Address Hoshino, Karuizawa-cho, Nagano (in Harunire Terrace) MAP
  •  Direction 15 minutes drive from Karuizawa Station
  •  Business Hours 10:00-18:00 *Seasonal change
  •  Closed No
  •  Parking Charged
 CERCLE original 4 kinds of confiture 940 yen each
CERCLE original 4 kinds of confiture 940 yen each

The high quality of the wines carefully selected by the sommelier and the delicious deli have made the restaurant popular among people who have vacation homes in Karuizawa. The delicatessen inside the restaurant offers the same food as in the top restaurants for takeout, and the owner, a sommelier, has selected about 300 kinds of wine, including wines from Shinshu, for the enjoyment of customers.

At the delicatessen, be sure to pick up a souvenir of the handmade confiture made from local seasonal fruits. You can enjoy the seasonal flavors of Karuizawa in delicious arrangements, such as on yogurt, spread on bread, or in sodas. If you are invited to a friend's house, you can bring a bottle of confiture and a bottle of wine selected by a sommelier as a gift.

Four types of CERCLE original confiture, 960 yen each
Shelf life: 300 days from manufacture

Local Guide Comment
It is also recommended to purchase vegetable terrine, pate de campagne, and wine at the delicatessen and enjoy them without cooking a meal on the night you return from your trip. Ask the Staff/staff member for the wines and the deli that goes with them, and they will kindly tell you.
Cercle wine&deli
  • Address Hoshino, Karuizawa-cho, Nagano (in Harunire Terrace) MAP
  •  Direction 15 minutes drive from Karuizawa Station
  •  Business hours 10:00 - 20:00
  •  Closed No
  •  TEL 0267-31-0361
  •  Parking Charged
 Craftsaurus 3-bottle set 1,000 yen
Craftsaurus 3-bottle set 1,000 yen

A chic black café adjacent to "Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu. The menu here includes local craft beer, flower bean soft-serve ice cream, and after-bath pudding, perfect after a hot spring bath.

First of all, a glass of local craft beer is a great way to refresh your body after taking a hot bath. If you want to bring home a delicious Karuizawa craft beer made with famous water, youcan purchasefour or five different kinds, includingKaruizawa's well-known Karuizawa Beer Craftsaurus seriesandYama-no-uei, a beer made with local hops and limited to the Koshin region.

Craftsaurus 3-bottle set 1,000 yen
*Shelf life 5-8 months from manufacture (varies depending on type)
*Sales period may vary. Please contact the store for availability.

Local Guide Comment
This café is located next to the Dragonfly Baths and is the perfect place to enjoy a hot spring bath. Please enjoy a luxurious moment after taking a bath with rich hot spring egg pudding and craft beer.
Cafe Hungry Spot
  • Address Hoshino, Karuizawa-cho, Nagano MAP
  •  Direction 15 minutes drive from Karuizawa Station
  •  Business Hours 9:30-22:00 (L.O.21:30) (Seasonal change)
  •  Closed No
  •  TEL 0267-44-3571
  •  Parking 250 cars (paid parking lot)
 CANUTTE 540 yen
CANUTTE 540 yen

Karuizawa Hotel Bleston Court, meaning "garden of bliss," is a resort hotel perched on a small hill in Karuizawa. The rich nature, seasonal cuisine, and hospitality nurtured in Karuizawa's guest culture will make you feel happy and relaxed in body and soul.

We want you to feel "a moment wrapped in happiness"... We offer sweets filled with such thoughts and stories as souvenirs from Karuizawa. The original sweets created by the hotel patissier are florentines with a royal taste and a new texture. Combining hazelnuts, which are also widely grown in Shinshu, and acacia honey, it is baked thin and savory so that anyone can enjoy it.
The package features cute illustrations of squirrels, wild birds, and colorful flowers and plants found in Karuizawa's natural surroundings, along with a story about sharing happiness. It is a kind of souvenir that you can take home with you the entire air of the highlands.

canutte 540 yen
Shelf life: 30 days from manufacture

Local Guide Comment
There are also many other souvenirs such as jams and dressings that are typical of Shinshu. The "apple kuchen" (apple compote wrapped in a whole apple kuchen), with its cinnamon flavor and moist texture, is enjoyed by people of all ages.
Karuizawa Hotel Bleston Court
  • AddressKaruizawa Hotel Bleston Court, Hoshino, Karuizawa-cho, Nagano MAP
  •  Direction 15 minutes drive from Karuizawa Station
  •  Business Hours Souvenir sales hours: 10:00-16:30
  •  Closed Closed in winter
  •  Parking Free of charge
 Asama blueberry jam 270g: 1,188 yen 140g: 648 yen
Asama blueberry jam 270g: 1,188 yen 140g: 648 yen

Jam is one of the most popular souvenirs from Karuizawa. Nakayama's Jam was established in 1905 by the founder, Johei Nakayama, who learned how to make jam from a foreign missionary who visited Karuizawa. Characterized by the natural sweetness of the ingredients, the jams are delicious not only on freshly baked bread, but also as a sauce for desserts and dishes.

The jams range from the classic strawberry, grape, rhubarb from Karuizawa, hoe berry, mountain peach, currant, and peach, to more than 30 flavors that show the bounty of the land of Shinshu. It is hard to decide which one to choose, but we recommend the Asama blueberry jam, a specialty of Karuizawa, for your first jar. The moderate tartness and mild sweetness of the flavor spread in your mouth, making it an excellent match for black tea.

Asama Blueberry Jam
270g: 1,188 yen 140g: 648 yen
*2-year shelf life (please consume as soon as possible after opening)

Local Guide Comment
Among Karuizawa residents, there are many who say, "If you want to buy jam, this is the place to go! This is a popular store among Karuizawa residents. There is a wide variety of jams, so it is recommended to sample before buying.
Nakayama Jam
  • Address 750-1 Old Road, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano MAP
  •   Direction 7 min. ride on Kusakaru Kotsu Kyu-Karuizawa shuttle bus from JR Karuizawa Station. 4 min. walk from Kyu-Karuizawa bus stop.
  •  Business Hours 10:00-17:00 (winter)
    9:00-18:00 (summer)
  •  Closed No
  •  TEL 0267-42-7825
  •  Parking Free of charge
 Assortment A set: 3,240 yen
Assortment A set: 3,240 yen

Karuizawa has preserved the food culture left behind by the missionaries who developed the area as a summer resort. Karuizawa Delicatessen is one of them, and since its establishment in 1980, its hams and sausages, made with an open-flame smoking method directly handed down from German craftsmen, have been a specialty of Karuizawa, loved not only by the local people but also by visitors to the villa. Smoked with cherry wood instead of chips, the original flavor of the meat is brought out, and the rich taste and aroma are well-received.

In the store, ham and bacon are cut to order, which is the store's style. Each item can be purchased in 100g units, so you can buy a variety of products and compare them little by little. If you have a hard time deciding which to choose, we recommend the "Assortment A Set" that includes two kinds of sausages, two kinds of sausages, bacon, and loin ham. This set is filled with popular products and is sure to be a great souvenir for a trip or a small get-together. It is sure to be a great success on any occasion.

Assortment A Set 3,240 yen
*Consumption period: approximately 14 days

Local Guide Comment
If you visit early in the day, you can sometimes find some jam scraps for sale. They are also very popular as gifts.
Karuizawa Delicatessen
  • Address 657-6 Karuizawa, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano MAP
  •   Direction 7 minutes ride on Kusakaru Kotsu Karuizawa shuttle bus from JR Karuizawa Station. 7 minutes walk from "Kyu-Karuizawa" bus stop. 10 minutes walk by Premium Travel.
  •  Business Hours 9:00-17:30 (9:00-17:00 in winter)
  •  Closed Thursdays (closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays from January to mid-March, open all year from late July to August)
  •  TEL 0267-42-6427
  •  Parking Free of charge

After a day of sightseeing, relax at a Hoshino Resorts inn. Karuizawa is the birthplace of Hoshino Resorts, which has three unique inns, all full of fun and surprises for your trip.

A day off from the modern world, staying in a village in the valley

 The landscape created by the topography of the valley has a different look depending on the season and time of day.
The landscape created by the topography of the valley has a different look depending on the season and time of day.

HOSHINOYA Karuizawa, 70 minutes from Tokyo, is an ideal mountain retreat surrounded by clean air. Guest rooms are set around a waterfront garden, with terraces offering views of the changing seasons. The hotel offers hot springs that have been known since ancient times for their beautiful skin and loved by literary giants, cuisine for rest and relaxation that features ingredients from the mountains and rivers, spa programs that lead to relaxation of body and soul, and various activities that allow you to experience the four seasons with all your body and soul. Guests can fully enjoy their time resting from the modern world in the rich natural environment facing the "Karuizawa Wild Bird Forest."

HOSHINOYA Karuizawa
  • Address 2148 Nagakura, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano MAP
  •  Direction 15 min. by free shuttle bus from Karuizawa Station/Nakakaruizawa Station
  •  Parking Available

A cosy hotel in Karuizawa loved by vacationers

 Rooms are all independent cottages nestled among the trees.
Rooms are all independent cottages nestled among the trees.

Karuizawa Hotel Bleston Court is a hotel where you can relax in body and soul, where you will be welcomed with the spirit of hospitality cultivated in Karuizawa's guest culture and food that enjoys rich nature and the seasons. In the main dining room, Bleston Court Yukawatan, you can enjoy French cuisine that expresses the uniquely Japanese world, using ingredients nurtured by the richness of nature and valuing the spirit of appreciating the seasons and nature. Breakfast at Restaurant No One's Recipe is a "French Breakfast" of course, featuring a Brittany-style crepe made with buckwheat flour. Enjoy it with a glass of cider in the authentic Brittany style.

Karuizawa Hotel Bleston Court

More than an izakaya, less than a trip, a loose hotel

 A courtyard with a wooden deck where the night breezes of the plateau are pleasant and shooting stars can be seen.
A courtyard with a wooden deck where the night breezes of the plateau are pleasant and shooting stars can be seen.

This is a loose hotel with loose rules and time constraints. Guests can freely arrange how to spend their time, playing board games or card games in the open space "TAMARIBA," which is available 24 hours a day, or simply enjoying being in the same space while reading a book of their choice.
Within walking distance are "Harunire Terrace" with its lifestyle stores, cafes, and restaurants, "Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu," a hot spring with free-flowing spring water, and "Picchio," where you can enjoy "Musasabi Watching," a 90% sighting rate.

BEB Karuizawa BEB Hoshino Resorts
  • Address Hoshino, Karuizawa-cho, Nagano MAP
  •  Direction 10 minutes drive from Nakakaruizawa Station
  •  Parking Available
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.