Australian Curry Amidst the Green

Many visitors to Japan just stay in the cities with a few day trips to places like Kamakura (great place to visit), or Hakone, or a shopping tour to one of the many outlet malls (Gotanda is a poplular one).

But, if you are the outdoorsy type, and want a bit of fresh air and lots of greenery, a good place to visit is Karuizawa or Kita-Karuizawa (about 30 minutes by car from Karuizawa). There are plenty of things to do in the Karuizawa area; hiking, shopping (another major outlet mall is located here), skiing, and more.

If you are going then take a little side trip to see Ian and his wife Saeko and try his curry, or if he has any left, his cottage pie. Ian is also keen on muffins and usually has a freshly baked batch on the counter. They are located in KitaKaruizawa so you won't be able to walk there from Karuizawa station and a car is recommended. KitaKaruizawa has rental cabins too if you are so inclined and there's even a version Pompeii nearby that isn't well publicized.

Curry Café Kitakaru has a website at: http://currykitakaru.web.fcw.com/