3 Best Sights in Karuizawa, The Japan Alps and the North Chubu Coast

This sanctuary is home to some 80 bird species, including the Japanese white-eye. You can watch from two observation huts along a 2½-km (1½-mile) forest course. To get here from Karuizawa Station, take a free shuttle bus bound for the "Hoshino area," or take the local Seibu Kanko bus. Get off at the Tombo no Yu stop and walk about one minute to the park. You can wander around on your own (free), or book a two-hour guided nature tour in English for a charge. For an even deeper experience, the same company also runs longer tours to spot wild serow and bears. Try to book at least a week in advance for English tours.

This active volcano of more than 8,000 feet threatens to put an end to the whole "Highlands Ginza" below. For a view of the glorious Asama-san in its entirety, head to the observation platform at Usui-toge (Usui Pass). You can also see neighboring Myogi-san, as well as the whole Yatsugatake, a range of eight volcanic peaks. Walk northeast along shop-filled Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza street to the end, passing the old church and house built by Archdeacon Shaw, before crossing the Nite-bashi bridge and following the trail through an evergreen forest to the pass. A lovely view justifies the 1½-hour walk. From late April to late November, buses (¥500) leave almost hourly if you want a ride back.

Hiking paths get crowded during the tourist season, but these waterfalls make a good afternoon excursion in the off-season. To get to the trailhead at Mine-no-Chaya, take the bus from Karuizawa Station. The ride takes about 25 minutes and costs ¥710. From the trailhead it's about a one-hour hike to Shiraito for the 3-meter-high, 70-meter-wide falls. You can take the bus back to Karuizawa Station from here or continue on to the not-quite-as-impressive Tatsugaeshi falls (90 minutes). From these falls it's a 15-minute walk back to the nearest bus stop and a 20-minute bus ride back to Karuizawa. It makes sense to confirm bus times at Karuizawa's tourist information center before setting off.