You could go on a pub crawl around Liverpool, London’s vibrant English rival. Or you could join other music lovers at Strawberry Fields in New York City’s Central Park. But if you want to follow in John Lennon’s footsteps while getting off the beaten path, you should plan a trip to the mountain resort of Karuizawa, Japan, one of the musician’s favorite vacation destinations.
About an hour by bullet train from Tokyo in Nagano Prefecture, Karuizawa had a special place in Lennon’s heart, which is notable, given how extensively he traveled. From Europe and the U.S. to Australia, Hong Kong, and the Philippines, Lennon performed all over the world as a member of the Beatles in the 1960s. But some of his most meaningful travels occurred after the band broke up in 1970.
Lennon first visited Japan on a Beatles world tour in 1966, then returned four additional times in the ’70s with his wife, Yoko Ono, and their young son, Sean. Together, they spent several summers in Karuizawa. While this high-altitude town houses a permanent population of about 20,000, it remains a popular destination for over 8 million annual visitors, drawn both to beginner-friendly skiing at the Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort and to its appeal as a cool getaway from Tokyo’s summer heat.
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Follow John Lennon’s footsteps in the mountain resort town of Karuizawa
Lush greenery surrounding Karuizawa’s Shiraito Falls – Pierrick Lemaret/Getty Images
According to locals, Lennon and his family enjoyed the peace and quiet of Karuizawa, and their favorite spots around town have been well-documented. One example is the serene cascade of Shiraito Falls: these waterfalls in the woods, said to be among the most beautiful in Japan, are framed by lush greenery that turns to bright foliage in fall. The scene is magical in winter, too, under a dusting of snow.
The falls are just one of the popular attractions around town that Lennon’s family enjoyed. A visiting journalist from Wanderlust reported that Lennon and his wife and son regularly went to the Kumano Koutai Shrine and the nearby Usui Pass Observation Platform, a lookout point over the Yatsugatake and Akaishi Mountains just outside of town. It’s the perfect place to witness the natural phenomenon of “Unkai” (which translates to “sea of clouds”), per GoNagano, the Nagano Prefecture’s Official Tourism Site. “As you look out over the tops of clouds that are stuck in between the nearby mountain peaks,” the writer notes, “the peaks appear to be islands in a sea of clouds.”
The Lennons typically stayed at the Mampei Hotel, a historic inn that was transformed into the town’s first Western-style hotel in 1894. These days, you can book a room (from $300 per night) or just go for tea in the hotel’s cafe (open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) Ask for apple pie and Royal Milk Tea, reportedly the musician’s go-to order according to GoNagano. Not far away on Kyu Karuizawa Ginza, the town’s main shopping street, stop into French Bakery to pick up some fresh baguettes, just as Lennon once did. Planning a trip to Japan? Check out these affordable, gorgeous destinations ideal for tourists on a budget.
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Read the original article on Islands.
AloJapan.com