Tokyo suburbs 🍀Old Karuizawa Ginza Street snacks, Miffy specialty stores, specialty cafes concentrated

(Day 2) Kyu-Karuizawa

We went to Kumoba Pond in the morning and Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza-dori at noon. Walk in the other direction at the fork in the road before entering Yunchang Pond. The scenery along the way is beautiful, there is snow on the ground, and the white scenery in front of you is beautiful. There are also specialty restaurants along the way, and at first glance there are quite a few Italian restaurants. There are small villas on both sides, which are said to be holiday homes for rich people. My boyfriend said that he rented one for a few days when he traveled here in the spring. It was quiet and comfortable. I must try it next time I come🫶 (Pictures 3-5)

It is much more lively when you walk to Ginza Street. The weather is very cold, but there are also many tourists and many Japanese people who come for vacation. The day we visited happened to be Japan's National Foundation Day (?), so many cafes were closed, and there were fewer choices. Many stores also required queues. (Photos 6-8)

We drank coffee and ate cream cones at Boulangerie Asanoya on Ginza Street. This coffee shop is very popular and Japanese people kept coming in to buy bread. There are also many popular souvenirs and snacks along the way, such as the "Karuizawa Food Gallery" which sells Sweet Cheese Burger desserts. (Pictures 9-10)

We chose a small shop called "Paomu" with a long queue. The poster said that their pudding won the All-Japan "Gift" Grand Prix. We tried Karuizawa Pudding and the seasonal Snow Karuizawa Pudding. The seasonal version is served frozen and has a layer of cream on top, which is smooth and delicious. But I prefer the classic version. The hot pudding makes the egg and milk flavor more prominent😋😋 (Pictures 11-13)

We also went to the Miffy store and tried the first-class red bean buns. The taste was just average🙏 but the first-class check-in was first-class. I also bought a box of Miffy-shaped cakes as souvenirs. The store has a wide range of Miffy products, so Miffy fans shouldn’t miss it. (Pictures 14-15)

Finally, we visited the church square. This is a semi-outdoor space, which makes it a little warmer outside. If it’s too cold, you can come in and take a rest. There are some shops and check-in spots. Cross the church square and you will arrive at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Karuizawa, which is a small church. (Pictures 16-19)

In order to save time to go to the outlet, we did not visit Karuizawa. We will reserve one more day for the tour next time. I will write about shopping at Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza later🫶

Boulangerie Asanoya-Karuizawa Old Road Main Store
Address: 738 Karuizawa, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano

Paomu
Address: 806-1 Karuizawa, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano

Miffy Forest Kitchen
Address: 559 Karuizawa, Karuizawa-cho, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano (Former Karuizawa Ginza-dori)

Karuizawa St. Paul's Church
Address: 179 Karuizawa, Karuizawa-cho, Nagano

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