Karuizawa (軽井沢町) is an upmarket mountain resort town located at the foot of the Mount Asama volcano in Nagano Prefecture. Located at an altitude of 1,000 meters (about 3,300 feet), the town provides a pleasant escape from the summer heat. Karuizawa first became famous in 1886, when Canadian missionary, Alexander Croft Shaw visted and was so impressed by its beautiful nature and cool climate that he introduced it to the world as an idyllic summer retreat. Many other missionaries followed, and it became a town with strong Christian traditions.

Karuizawa has strong ties to the Japanese imperial family who have long visted this town for summer retreats and rest at their personal estates. Residents of Karuizawa are proud of the deep, continued bond between their town and the imperial family and value their vists immensely.

Thanks to the Shinkansen it takes little more than an hour to reach Karuizawa from central Tokyo.

An extraordinary collaboration has created a new landmark in historic Karuizawa. Designed by reknowned architect Ryosuke Yamamoto and built by Daiichi Kensetsu, Jingyang Estate enhances the legacy of this resort town with a design aesthetic that has evolved out of Japan's past.

Connecting interior and exterior spaces is an enduring element of Japanese design philosophy. Hidden from the world by forest and rivers, the traditional "sukiya-zukuri" (数寄屋造り) villa is designed to open up and extend into its natural surroundings.

Taking more than 3 years to complete, Jingyang Estate was built with the best locally-sources materials, hand craftmanship and zen minimalism.

Drawing from Buddhist philosophies, the gardens of Jingyang Estate inspire peaceful zen contemplation. Time passes slowly here in this refined atmosphere. We've combined basic elements such as flora, water and rocks with simple, clean lines to create a tranquil retreat.

Architectural features showcase the beauty of the estate's surroundings.

Good landscape design perfectly combines the needs of building with the natural beauty of the one's environment. Those who travel along the walking paths and trails will experience continuously changing scenery and soundscape from bubbling brooks and birdsong.

Openness and scale gives this residence a healthy flow and calming energy.

Oriental living concept, combined with Japanese architecture and state-of-the-art systems, create a perfect example of a comfort living space.

Reforming architectural dimensions and layout defines a new height for Japanese Garden Style mansions.

Airy windows, translucency and modular architecture create private spaces that pull the beauty of the grounds indoors.

A contemporary take on the traditional soaking tub, the bath has always held significant importance in Japanese culture to cleanse and purify both the body and soul.

With a wide array of seasonal activities, inspiring art galleries and local cuisine, Karuizawa offers abundant charm for everyone from the imperial family to visiting tourists. The sightseeing, festivals, shopping and nature ensures there is always more to explore in Karuizawa.

Soba has long been a representative of Japanese cuisine to foreign tourists. With clear, beautiful water, and the varying day and night time temperatures, Karuizawa can produce top quality buckwheat, making it the perfect place to enjoy soba in Japan.

Karuizawa is also famous for winter sports, such as ice skating, skiing, snowboarding and curling. In fact, the Nagano Olympic Games in 1998 were held in Karuizawa. The number of leisure activities including cycling, horse riding, tennis and golf has been increasing in recent years, which has transformed Karuizawa into a sports town.