After a busy week at the office, my friend & I took off to Karuizawa. By Shinkansen (bullet train), it is an hour and a half away with a really amazing countryside scenery to enjoy on the way. We rented a cottage on the hills about five minutes walk from the main hotel. It was really nice and snug with under floor heating. The Onsen (hot spring) was truly amazing with an outside decked area with a spectacular view over the mountains.

Japan always lives up to its expectations for excellence in the culinary world. The hotel had a choice of 3 restaurants all specialising in different Japanese cuisine styles. We were blown away by the presentation, taste and overall attention to detail. And my Japanese friend could not resist the nearby factory outlet shopping mall nearby with heavily discounted prices!!