Last Updated on January 2, 2026
In case you missed it, here’s Part 1.
After our smooth Shinkansen ride from Tokyo, my mother and I arrived in Karuizawa, Nagano, and headed straight to lunch at Kagaribi, a restaurant at Hotel Indigo Karuizawa. The bright, open seating made a lovely first impression, and soon the dishes arrived.
Salad with local vegetables
Salad with local vegetablesWe started with a salad made from locally grown vegetables. It featured some vegetables I don’t usually eat, topped with a vinaigrette made with Karuizawa honey and citrus. With plenty of vibrant vegetables, it was a healthy start to lunch.
Today’s soup
Today’s soupThe soup of the day was pumpkin soup. I sometimes make pumpkin soup at home, and I could tell that this one was made with plenty of pumpkin too.
Lately, I’ve been too busy to feel like cooking, but I hope that if my body and mind feel energized, that will change. I’m thinking of reducing my workload a little.
Pasta
PastaThere were three pasta options to choose from, and I went with the Shinshu beef Bolognese penne. The portion was quite large for us, so we probably should have asked in advance to have it reduced.
Personally, I could have used another stomach!
Dessert
The cake wasn’t included in the course, but we could choose from the hotel’s homemade cakes. I picked the pistachio opera. As always, I like to end with something sweet and coffee.
The restaurant has a checkout at the exit, and there’s also a display case selling bread, cakes, and more. The focaccia included in the course was so good that I bought some to take home. Some people came from outside just to buy bread.
We took a look at the lobby as well. With its big fireplace, it seemed like a cozy place even in Nagano’s harsh winter.
However, snowy roads can be very dangerous for those from low-snow areas like us, so it’s not possible to visit when snow is likely. If you do go, I recommend using a local taxi or a shuttle bus.
Next, we visited…
We drove through the trees and arrived at Karuizawa Taliesin, a cultural theme park with small libraries and museums around a lake.
Although it rained, the wet roads and soft mist made the scene feel magical. It was early October, and since it’s a cold region, I was hoping to see some autumn colors, but it seemed a little early.
I can only imagine how beautiful it must be in the bright green of spring. Although it’s not a new place, I think many visitors from the city come here to enjoy the calm surroundings and lush greenery. In addition, since there’s a rose garden, we went to see it as well.
Continue reading the next part below!
Restaurant Info
KAGARIBI
Price:
Italian lunch course
– 24.32 USD / 20.63 EUR
Optional cake
– 3.19 USD / 2.71 EUR
Focaccia
– 2.24 USD / 1.9 EUR
(approximate conversion from JPY)
Access:
2.4 Km / 1.49 mi from Karuizawa Station
Instagram: @hotelindigokaruizawa
Karuizawa Taliesin
Price:
5.75 USD / 4.88 EUR
(approximate conversion from JPY)
Access:
4.6 Km / 2.86 mi from Karuizawa station
