Karuizawa: an atas place

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN UPMARKET DESTINATION WHERE YOU CAN EXPLORE MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES FERRY DE BAKKER WRITES THAT KARUIZAWA, JAPAN IS THE PLACE FOR YOU.

Karuizawa has been known as a summer resort for wealthy Tokyo residents for many decades. To say it is an upmarket place would be an understatement. The attractive village, surrounded by an active volcano, resplendent nature and, at an altitude of some 1,000 meters, offering captivating views, really is what we in Singapore would refer to as an atas place.

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS

Its history goes back centuries, when it was one of the post-towns on the Nakasendo Way, which linked Tokyo with Kyoto. Missionaries discovered it in the late 19th century and it became popular because of its location, attractiveness and mild summer climate. In the 1930s, many distinguished artists, poets and novelists frequented the place as their summer hangout.

During the second world war foreigners were ordered to leave Tokyo. Those from the Western allies had to either leave the country or be interned in Kobe. Foreign nationals from Nazi Germany and Italy were placed in an area near Mount Fuji. Others, from countries that were not considered enemies, such as Hungary and Sweden, were sent to Karuizawa.

ROMANCE BLOOMS

The American photographer, Tom Haar, born in Tokyo in 1941, spent several years of his childhood there with his Hungarian parents. In 2001 he edited a book containing photographs of Karuizawa taken by his father during the

1940s. A few years later, he returned to the area, staying there for some months on a Fulbright grant to do research on the history of the village.

In the late 1950s the then Crown-prince Akihito met his future wife Michiko on a tennis court and since then Karuizawa also has emerged as a romantic destination for Japanese lovers.

UNIQUE HOTELS

As might be expected, Karuizawa is home to a number of genuinely unique hotels. The usual, global chains are not to be found here. Instead, historic accommodations, modern architecture and splendid ryokans offer many choices from which to pick.

A few standouts: the Mampei Hotel was originally known as the Kameya Inn, founded in 1764 to offer a bed for the night to travellers on the Nakasendo Way. In the late 1800s it was transformed into the city’s first Western-style hotel. It currently has 109 rooms and operates four different restaurants, all of high quality.

A PLACE TO CHILL

No restaurants in the Shishi-iwa House. This new entry on the market was designed by Shigeru Ban, one of Japan’s most celebrated architects and best known for his work with wood, carton board and paper. This Pritzker-laureate created temporary shelters for victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, as well as for refugees in various parts of the world. Completed in 2018, the Shishi-iwa House is a boutique hotel with 10 rooms, and a particularly spacious living room for guests to gather. This is a place to chill out, if ever there was one.

The Kutsukake Stay and the Tsuruya Ryokan are amazing Japanese inns to consider for those interested in tradition and comfort. Highly recommended too is Kyukaruizawa Kikyo, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. It is described by the American chain’s marketeers as the company’s first private luxury hotel, and they

are not kidding! This is a hotel you would like to stay at for any special occasion, or when you have nothing to celebrate at all.

FRENCH & ITALIAN

I haven’t been able to count them, but when walking, cycling or driving around the Karuizawa area, you get the distinct feeling that there are more French and Italian than Japanese restaurants in this upmarket town. Whenever I mentioned this to local residents they would smile and respond, “That’s what the Edokko, as we call people from Tokyo, prefer to eat.”

In any case, we particularly liked Cercle, a simple bistro with a splendid wine list. Also, the highly-rated Bleston Court Yukawatan certainly lives up to its reputation. There are many other great eateries in Karuizawa, as a quick Google search will show you.

INSPIRING ART

I love contemporary art museums. Art, and in particular modern art, inspires me. This relatively small town offers in art museums what I had hoped for and then some. Let us first of all look at the Sezon Museum of Modern Art. Established in

the early 1960s in Tokyo, it moved to its current location in 1981 and is justifiably famous for its over 500 works of the world’s leading 20th century artists, including Jackson Pollock, Wassily Kandinsky, Kazumi Nakamura, Jasper Johns, Paul Klee and Mark Rothko.

It also has on display one of Jean Tinguely’s most impressive and largest moving works, Pandemonium No. 1, created in 1984. Every 30 minutes, a museum employee turns on a switch and you are met by a symphony of bells, or a cacophony of sounds, if you will.

OTHERWORLDLY BEAUTY

The Hiroshi Senju Museum is beautiful in an otherworldly sort of way. The architect is Ryue Nishizawa, the youngest ever Pritzker Prize recipient. He created a very delicate and lightfilled structure with mainly floor-to-ceiling glass walls and gently curved open exhibition spaces. It is surrounded by a garden with a wide variety of coloured-leaf trees.

As the name of the museum indicates, it is owned by and dedicated to one of Japan’s most renowned painters, Hiroshi Senju. He is an internationally recognized Nihonga artist. A reaction to Western art that had become popular at the time, the Nihonga style emerged at the turn of the 19th century in Japan. Senju’s large-size works are peaceful, almost Zen-like and capture everyone’s attention.

All in all, a visit to this museum is one you would not forget easily. What an experience!

THE ART OF PRIORITIZING

On to the Karuizawa New Art Museum, in the middle of town. Again, very interesting because of its architecture, as well as for its permanent collection and the often daring, extraordinary exhibitions. Not done yet? There are many more museums in this resort town, as well as art galleries, than you can imagine.

Worth visiting, for example, are the Museum of Contemporary Art Karuizawa, the H. Tazaki Museum of Art, the Hori Tatsuo Literature Museum, the Karuizawa Station Building Memorial and the Musée Le Vent, just to name a few. So, if you have only a few days to spend in this surprising area, you will have to prioritise, as it will be impossible to see them all.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Yes, there is an almost endless list of things to do. For shopping addicts, there is the Prince Shopping Plaza, a huge discount fashion outlet, where all major brands are represented. The Forest of Muse, with its gardens, toy museum with traditional German toys and picture book museum, is an unusual and attractive place to visit, and so are the various waterfalls and the city’s botanical garden.

There is a charming farmer’s market, complete with coffee shops and restaurants. The very popular Hoshino Area has long been a place where writers and artists have come to enjoy the beauty of nature and the changing seasons. Today, people visit to enjoy the Harunire Terrace, with over 100 Japanese elm trees. It features 16 diverse shops and restaurants.

Those interested in walking, cycling, trekking, golf, horseback riding and other types of sports will find ample opportunities to engage in their favourite pastime. As the area is mountainous, Karuizawa also boasts one of Japan’s largest man-made ski resorts.