Karuizawa, Nagano · Things to do
Things to Do in Karuizawa: 12 Places with Hours, Prices and Access
12 things to do · checked October 22, 2026
12 things to do in Karuizawa, from the station outward
Hours, prices and access checked against each place's own page on October 22, 2026. They change; check before you go.
1Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza軽井沢・プリンスショッピングプラザ
Outlet shopping mall · Karuizawa Station south
About 240 shops, including outlet brands, interior goods and outdoor gear, spread over a large area on the south side of Karuizawa Station.
- Access
- Starts at the south exit of Karuizawa Station.
2Kumoba Pond雲場池
Pond and walking trail · Near Karuizawa Station
A small pond nicknamed Swan Lake, with a walking trail of about 1 km around it. The tourist association singles out the fresh green of spring and the autumn leaves.
- Access
- About 20 minutes on foot from Karuizawa Station.
3Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza Street旧軽井沢銀座通り
Shopping street · Kyu-Karuizawa
The old main street of Kyu-Karuizawa, once a stop for merchants travelling between Kyoto and Edo. Today it is a brick-paved road of souvenir shops, boutiques, cafes and restaurants.
- Access
- About 20 minutes on foot north of Karuizawa Station, or about 5 minutes on a Kusakaru Kotsu loop bus from the station.
4Shaw Memorial Chapel and Shaw Houseショー記念礼拝堂・ショーハウス記念館
Historic chapel and house · Kyu-Karuizawa
The missionary Alexander Croft Shaw first came to Karuizawa in 1885 and built its first villa in 1888. A reconstruction of that house stands beside the Shaw Memorial Chapel and is open as a free museum.
Shaw House closes for the winter from 4 November 2026 to 31 March 2027.
- Access
- Karuizawa–Kusatsu line bus from Karuizawa Station, about 4 minutes, then about 10 minutes on foot.
- Hours
- Shaw House 9:00–17:00 (9:00–18:00 July–September). Sunday service in the chapel at 10:00.
- Closed on
- Shaw House: Thursdays (open daily 15 July–15 September); closed for winter 4 November–31 March
- Price
- Shaw House free
5Harunire Terraceハルニレテラス
Shops and restaurants · Hoshino (Naka-Karuizawa)
Sixteen shops, cafes and restaurants in buildings along the Yukawa river, joined by wooden decks under elm (harunire) trees.
- Access
- About 17 minutes on foot from Naka-Karuizawa Station, or the Seibu Kanko route bus from Karuizawa Station to Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu, about 20 minutes.
- Hours
- 1 September–28 December 2026: most shops 10:00–18:00 (to 19:00 on weekends, holidays and 24–25 December in December); restaurants later, the latest until 22:00. Hours differ by shop.
6Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu星野温泉 トンボの湯
Day-use hot spring · Hoshino (Naka-Karuizawa)
A day-use bath on the Hoshino Onsen spring, with indoor and outdoor baths, a sauna and a cold bath kept at 13°C. The water is not recirculated.
Tattoos: bathing is allowed only if they can be covered with up to eight 10 × 8 cm cover stickers, sold at reception.
- Access
- Seibu Kanko route bus from Karuizawa Station to the Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu stop, about 20 minutes; about 17 minutes on foot from Naka-Karuizawa Station.
- Hours
- 10:00–22:00 (last entry 21:15)
- Price
- April–November and 29 December–3 January: adults ¥1,550, children (age 3 to elementary) ¥1,050. Other days December–March: adults ¥1,350, children ¥800. Towel set ¥350.
7Stone Church, Uchimura Kanzo Memorial Hall石の教会 内村鑑三記念堂
Church · Hoshino (Naka-Karuizawa)
A church of stone and glass arches in the Hoshino area, built as a memorial hall to Uchimura Kanzo and also used for weddings.
- Access
- In the Hoshino area: Seibu Kanko route bus from Karuizawa Station to Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu, about 20 minutes; about 17 minutes on foot from Naka-Karuizawa Station.
- Hours
- Visitor reception 10:00–17:00. The interior cannot be entered while a wedding is taking place; staff on site give the day's visiting times.
8Hiroshi Senju Museum Karuizawa軽井沢千住博美術館
Art museum · Naka-Karuizawa (Shiozawa)
About 50 works by the Japanese-style painter Hiroshi Senju, from early pieces to recent ones, in a building full of natural light designed by the architect Ryue Nishizawa.
- Access
- About 10 minutes by taxi from Karuizawa Station, or 5 minutes from Naka-Karuizawa Station. The summer bus ended for the year in September.
- Hours
- 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
- Closed on
- Tuesdays (open on public-holiday Tuesdays, in Golden Week and July–September); winter closure 26 December to the end of February
- Price
- General ¥1,500; students ¥1,000; junior high school and under free
9Shiraito Falls白糸の滝
Waterfall · North Karuizawa (Kose)
Hundreds of thin streams of groundwater fall from a curved rock face about 3 m high and 70 m wide, at the source of the Yukawa river.
- Access
- Karuizawa–Kusatsu line bus from Karuizawa Station, about 20 minutes, then about 5 minutes on foot.
10Onioshidashi-en鬼押出し園
Lava field park · Tsumagoi, Gunma (north of Karuizawa)
A park on the lava flow from Mt. Asama's 1783 eruption, which runs about 5.5 km north from the summit crater. It lies across the prefectural border in Gunma.
- Access
- About 40 minutes by bus from Karuizawa Station.
- Hours
- 8:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), open all year; can change or close in bad weather
- Price
- Adults (junior high and up) ¥700; elementary school ¥500; preschool free
11Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort軽井沢プリンスホテルスキー場
Ski resort · Karuizawa Station south
A ski area that runs on artificial snow, the first in Nagano to open for the 2026–27 season. Eight of its 14 courses are for beginners.
Winter only. The 2026–27 season starts on 31 October 2026 in the East area.
- Access
- About 10 minutes on foot from the Shinkansen station.
- Hours
- 2026–27 season (planned): East area and ski centre 31 October 2026–31 March 2027; West area 19 December 2026–22 March 2027. Dates can change with snow conditions.
- Price
- Lift tickets: see the resort. Children up to elementary school age ride the lifts free.
12Kera Ike Skating Rinkケラ池スケートリンク
Outdoor skating rink · Hoshino (Naka-Karuizawa)
An outdoor rink on a forest pond next to the Karuizawa Wild Bird Forest, run by Picchio. Skate rental is included in the fee; gloves are required.
Winter only: 30 October 2026–7 March 2027.
- Access
- In the Hoshino area: Seibu Kanko route bus from Karuizawa Station to Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu, about 20 minutes. Car park P1 is about 5 minutes on foot.
- Hours
- Season 30 October 2026–7 March 2027: 10:00–16:00 to 20 November; 10:00–18:00 21 November–28 December; 10:00–18:30 29 December–31 January; 10:00–16:00 1 February–7 March. Last entry 1 hour before closing. Dates can change with the weather.
- Closed on
- 18 November 2026; 24 and 25 February 2027
- Price
- Adults (junior high and up) ¥1,900, children ¥1,300, skates included. ¥2,400 / ¥1,800 on 19 December–11 January, 11–14 February and 20–23 February. Gloves ¥400 on site.
Good to know
Karuizawa splits into three parts. Around the station: the Prince Shopping Plaza at the south exit, the ski slopes about 10 minutes' walk away, and Kumoba Pond about 20 minutes on foot. North of the station: Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza (about 20 minutes on foot) and the Shaw Memorial Chapel. West, in the Hoshino area near Naka-Karuizawa: Harunire Terrace, Tombo-no-yu and the Stone Church, about 20 minutes by route bus from Karuizawa Station.
Shiraito Falls (about 20 minutes by bus, then 5 minutes on foot) and Onioshidashi-en (about 40 minutes by bus, across the border in Gunma) are the two places north of town on this list. Tombo-no-yu takes its last bathers at 21:15, and the restaurants at Harunire Terrace stay open later than the shops.
Dates to plan around: the ski resort opens on 31 October 2026 and the Kera Ike rink on 30 October. Shaw House closes for the winter from 4 November to 31 March, and the Hiroshi Senju Museum from 26 December to the end of February.
Station area, Kyu-Karuizawa, Hoshino, or north of town
Getting there from Karuizawa Station, what it costs to get in, and when the day ends. Adult prices; children's prices are on each card above.
| Where | From Karuizawa Station | Entry (adult) | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Station area: Prince Shopping Plaza, Kumoba Pond, ski resort | Plaza at the south exit · Kumoba Pond about 20 min on foot · ski resort about 10 min on foot | Plaza and pond: no entry fee listed · lift tickets: see the resort | Plaza hours: see its site |
| Kyu-Karuizawa: Ginza Street, Shaw Memorial Chapel | About 20 min on foot, or a short bus ride | Shaw House free | Shaw House 17:00 (18:00 July–September) |
| Hoshino: Harunire Terrace, Tombo-no-yu, Stone Church, Kera Ike | Seibu Kanko bus about 20 min · about 17 min on foot from Naka-Karuizawa | Tombo-no-yu ¥1,550 (¥1,350 in winter) · Kera Ike ¥1,900 | Tombo-no-yu last entry 21:15 · Stone Church reception 17:00 |
| Hiroshi Senju Museum | Taxi about 10 min (5 min from Naka-Karuizawa) | ¥1,500 | Last entry 16:30 |
| North: Shiraito Falls, Onioshidashi-en | Bus about 20 min + 5 min on foot · bus about 40 min | Shiraito Falls: no fee listed · Onioshidashi-en ¥700 | Onioshidashi-en last entry 16:30 |
By kind of trip
First trip, one day
Kumoba Pond and Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza are both about 20 minutes on foot from the station. Harunire Terrace and the Stone Church are together in the Hoshino area, about 20 minutes by route bus.
Kumoba Pond · Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza Street · Harunire Terrace · Stone Church, Uchimura Kanzo Memorial Hall
Rain or cold
Tombo-no-yu is open until 22:00, the Hiroshi Senju Museum until 17:00, and Harunire Terrace's restaurants into the evening.
Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu · Hiroshi Senju Museum Karuizawa · Harunire Terrace
With children
Children up to elementary school age ride the ski lifts free. Kera Ike is ¥1,300 for children with skates included, Onioshidashi-en ¥500 for elementary age and free for preschoolers, and Tombo-no-yu ¥800–¥1,050 from age 3.
Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort · Kera Ike Skating Rink · Onioshidashi-en · Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu
Winter
The ski resort's East area runs from 31 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 and its West area from 19 December. Kera Ike is open until 7 March, and Tombo-no-yu is cheaper from December to March outside the New Year days.
Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort · Kera Ike Skating Rink · Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu
Summer and the cool air
Shaw House stays open until 18:00 from July to September and opens daily from 15 July to 15 September. Shiraito Falls is about 20 minutes north by bus.
Shaw Memorial Chapel and Shaw House · Shiraito Falls · Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza Street
Questions
How do I get to the Hoshino area (Harunire Terrace, Stone Church, Tombo-no-yu)?
Take the Seibu Kanko route bus from Karuizawa Station to the Hoshino Onsen Tombo-no-yu stop, about 20 minutes. Or take the Shinano Railway one stop to Naka-Karuizawa (about 4 minutes) and walk about 17 minutes.
When does skiing start in Karuizawa for 2026–27?
Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort plans to open its East area and ski centre on 31 October 2026 and run until 31 March 2027. The West area is planned for 19 December 2026 to 22 March 2027. Both depend on snow conditions. The slopes are about 10 minutes on foot from the Shinkansen station.
Is there ice skating in Karuizawa?
Kera Ike Skating Rink in the Hoshino area opens 30 October 2026 to 7 March 2027. Adults pay ¥1,900 and children ¥1,300, skates included (more over New Year and some February dates). Gloves are required.
What is closed in Karuizawa in winter?
Shaw House closes from 4 November to 31 March. The Hiroshi Senju Museum closes from 26 December to the end of February and on Tuesdays outside July–September. Kera Ike is closed on 18 November and 24–25 February.
How far is Onioshidashi-en from Karuizawa?
About 40 minutes by bus from Karuizawa Station. It is in Tsumagoi, Gunma, open 8:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), adults ¥700.