IN LATE WINTER, I met my mother and my aunt and traveled to the mountain resort town of Karuizawa, in Nagano Prefecture, a little over an hour from Tokyo by shinkansen. When we stepped off the train, the air was bracingly cold. We were surrounded by forest, gentle drifts of snow, and a rare and delicious quiet. Hovering over the landscape was stately Mount Asama, its summit tipped with white.
I had heard about Karuizawa for what felt like the entirety of my childhood. It was the place where my mother had gone on vacation when she was a child. Some years later, after my older brother was born, my grandfather purchased a weekend home there. Karuizawa has long been known as a retreat for wealthy families fleeing Tokyo's summer heat. It's where, in 1957, the Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko famously met playing tennis. It's also where Yoko Ono and John Lennon liked to vacation; Ono once described Karuizawa as "an old summer resort in Japan very much like the Hamptons, except it's in the mountains."
For our family, having a house in Karuizawa represented the pinnacle of a postwar story of ambition and aspiration. My grandfather was a self-made man who built a successful business in the 1960s and 70s. But he also experienced the 80s bubble and the 90s recession, when his company, like so many in Japan, went bankrupt. And while the family tried to hold on to the Karuizawa house as long as possible, they were eventually forced to sell it.
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Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Travel+Leisure US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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EARTHLY DELIGHTS
Come fall, the Italian region of Umbria is a lush, fertile inland oasis. Peter Terzian reaps a bounty of culinary and cultural pleasures.
RUNNER'S HIGH
Some travelers like to move at a faster clip. Alexandra Kleeman crosses the peaks and pastures of Ireland with a group of women who take life in stride.
THE WILDEST ISLE
Compared with its neighbors, the island of Hawaii is bigger, more untamed-and, at times, unpredictable. With her family in tow, Flora Stubbs finds the perfect balance between relaxation and rugged adventure.
A ticket to the top of the world
On a luxurious train tour of Peru, Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu are the headline acts. But, as Monisha Rajesh discovers, witnessing everyday life from the rails can be every bit as memorable.
Bonjour la France
When an American writer retires in Brittany, she learns how to belong again.
Chills and Thrills
On an Alaskan wilderness adventure, Sarah Manguso and her son learn the elements of survival.
Wheels on Fire
With its blazing fall colors and picturesque villages, the Japanese island of Kyushu was made for cycling.
Down to Earth
Pottery runs deep in Santa Fe, from hallowed Pueblo collections to clay-throwing pubs.
Steel City Shining
A tech boom; a thriving cultural scene; destination dining. Can this be... Pittsburgh?
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL
This cute Pennsylvania town is brimming with artistic and cultural energy.