KARUIZAWA

Karuizawa's fresh greenery is not only beautiful, but also has a sense of vitality!

I (administrator) recommend Karuizawa to friends and acquaintances during the end of Golden Week.
Of course, the Golden Week season, the intense heat season, and the autumn foliage season are all good times, but the traffic jams are terrible.
Experienced people recommend visiting Karuizawa in winter, but it may be too difficult for first-timers.
Additionally, many shops are closed during the winter.
The fresh greenery in Karuizawa is slow to appear, starting at the end of Golden Week.
The town is relatively empty, making it a recommended season.
If you do well, you can even experience foggy Karuizawa.

2021 Karuizawa Wakaba Festival

This year from May 1st to June 6th, Wakaba Festival is held.
I will report more details later, but even if I live in Karuizawa, the season of fresh greenery is special and I can feel the breath of fresh air. by admin

Cool Karuizawa as a summer resort, refreshing Karuizawa during Golden Week.
Beautiful autumn leaves in Karuizawa, and Karuizawa in the middle of winter.
Karuizawa is full of nature, but I think one thing that is surprisingly little known is Karuizawa Fog.

During the fresh green season, the photo on the left shows Yagasaki Pond, but Karuizawa, especially Kyu Karuizawa, Shin Karuizawa, and the eastern part of Minami Karuizawa, are often shrouded in fog that rises from Usui Pass.
Although there are many winters, the rainy season is the most common.
If you visit Karuizawa on such a day, you can enjoy fantastic scenery.
Karuizawa in winter is also popular among Karuizawa tourists, but foggy Karuizawa is also surprisingly popular among those who know Karuizawa well.
You can relax at your inn, and most of the shops that are closed in winter will be open after Golden Week, and during the rainy season it won't be as crowded as during Golden Week or Obon, so you can enjoy the shops in their original form.
I came to see the fog, but if it clears up, no problem!
From May to June, you can enjoy the best season, neither hot nor cold, very refreshing and very pleasant, a season that you forget when living in the city. You can enjoy a very pleasant time whether you take a walk or go cycling.

Even if there is heavy fog in the eastern part of Karuizawa, the fog often clears up quickly once you pass the Riyama intersection.
Remote mountains are one of the boundaries of weather. The next boundary is Oiwake, and once you pass Oiwake, the altitude drops, so the weather changes considerably.
In addition to fog, light rain is also common in the western part of the country, even in remote mountains.
There are also times when east and west are reversed.
By the way, Karuizawa rarely experiences torrential rain like in other cities. The most common type of rain is drizzle.

Driving/walking on foggy days

Be careful when driving on foggy days.
In case of heavy fog, if you are driving at high speed, a yellow fog warning light will come on halfway up Usui Hill, which is very beautiful.
If it's foggy, I run with my lights on even during the day. If you don't show off your car's location, you won't know when you'll get hit.
In really bad cases, you may not be able to tell what color the traffic light is on the other side of the intersection.
It's especially dangerous at night, and high beams can turn everything in front of you white. You'll want fog lights.
The fog is surprisingly calm when it touches the ground, but it suddenly becomes thicker as it moves away from the ground.
Therefore, even if you can drive a low-slung sedan-type car, buses or trucks where the driver is in a higher position will become undriveable first.
Buses and trucks that are no longer able to drive may be stopped with their hazard lights on, waiting for the fog to clear, such as at Usui Pass or on the way to Iriyama Pass after exiting the interchange.
So, even if you think you are fine, you need to be careful.
Please drive slowly and drive safely.

Walking on foggy days can be dangerous.
Cross-country reporting is especially dangerous.
Even if there are traffic lights, you may not be able to see them clearly from your car.
Please take into consideration the possibility that you may not be able to see it from the car.