Jul 14, 2011

Some might argue that Hokkaido in northern Japan is the country’s veritable summer capital, but for the affluent classes Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture is the It place to build Georgian Colonial, Folk Victorian or Ranch-style summer houses, called bessou in Japanese. Our weekend trip to Karuizawa led us to a park called Karuizawa Taliesin, where we got...

Jun 27, 2011

The other day we went on a weekend trip to Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It’s a summer resort destination known not only for its cool climate but also for a large (by Japanese standards) outlet mall. We had tea at Babbi Karuizawa; Babbi is the Italian confectionery brand whose shops’ bright red-and-white decor stand out in department stores...

Apr 1, 2011

Traumerei Hotel, obviously named after Schumann’s famous piano piece, is a resort hotel located in Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture. It is a short drive from Karuizawa, that famed summer resort area of Japan. We arrived there in the middle of summer but it rained and rained that day (and the next). Fortunately, the wonderful dinner and relaxing bath made it all...