Nagano, Japan · Asia
Karuizawa is worth a stop: 20 minutes from Miyota, 25km from Mount Haruna Touge.
Karuizawa is a town located in Nagano, Japan. With a population of 20,023, it is an important destination in Asia.
On a road trip, Karuizawa sits in Japan, where you drive on the left. It's in the Asia/Tokyo time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Karuizawa to your route.
Karuisawa-shuku (軽井沢宿, Karuisawa-shuku) was the eighteenth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the northern portion of the present-day town of Karuizawa, in the Kitasaku District of Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Karuisawa-shuku is 10 km (6.2 mi) from the preceding post station, Sakamoto-shuku,Read more
and 4 km (2.5 mi) from the following one, Kutsukake-shuku.
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Karuizawa offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Karuizawa is located in Nagano, Japan, Asia. The coordinates are 36.3500 latitude, 138.6333 longitude.
Karuizawa has a population of approximately 20,023 people, making it a town in Japan.
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Essential numbers in Japan
Japan Helpline (24h English assistance): 0570-000-911. An International Driving Permit (1949 convention) is required to drive.
Full driving guide for Japan8 notable places within an hour's drive.
mountain pass
Historic pass on the old Nakasendo route between Gunma and Karuizawa, packed with 180-plus corners and the brick Megane-bashi viaduct. Another Initial D battleground beloved by drivers and rail historians alike.
1 km · about 5 min drive
famous road
The winding climb to Lake Haruna in Gunma, immortalised as 'Mount Akina' in Initial D. Gentle hairpins, a crater lake at the top, and constant pilgrimages by fans of Japan's street-racing manga.
25 km · about 30 min drive
photogenic
The steaming timber sluice at the centre of Kusatsu, where 4,000 litres a minute of highly acidic spring water is cooled across wooden channels before reaching the baths. Floodlit and clouded in steam after dark.
31 km · about 35 min drive
mountain pass
At 2,172 m this is the highest point on any Japanese national highway, on Route 292 between Nagano and Gunma. In spring the road is cut through snow walls several metres high.
36 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
A thousand-year-old spa at the foot of the Nagano hills, ringed by ancient temples including a rare octagonal three-storey pagoda. Three small public baths still serve the village for a few coins.
43 km · about 50 min drive
natural wonder
A unique hot spring area where wild Japanese macaques famously bathe in steaming thermal pools surrounded by snow.
45 km · about 50 min drive
landmark
A cobbled onsen village of wooden inns where guests in yukata and geta make a circuit of nine small public bathhouses. It is the road-end village below the snow monkey valley.
46 km · about 55 min drive
photogenic
A small irrigation reservoir whose acidic, iron-rich water holds a still green surface mirroring the birch and larch on its bank. It became famous as the subject of a Higashiyama Kaii painting.
47 km · about 55 min drive
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