The Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota

If you’re looking for a Japanese getaway that’s unlike anything experienced by your smug, globe-trotting friends, the magisterial Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota, in the famous yet under-explored Nagano prefecture, might be just the ticket. The fact that the surrounding area looks and feels like the American Pacific northwest (it’s quite Twin Peaks-y) will have you forgetting you’re a mere 90 minutes outside of Tokyo. Once you step off that shinkansen, you’ll feel a million miles from Honshu’s relatively balmy southern fringe.

Welcome then, to Miyota, a scenic region defined by huge skies, serene vistas and the all-seeing Mount Asama, slap-bang in the middle. Set against this inarguably dramatic backdrop, perched on a hillside, is the Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota, a low-slung, design-conscious retreat that blends slinkily into its surroundings like a prowling mountain lion. 

Why stay at Hiramatsu Karuizawa?

Because it’s bloody lovely? The Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota is where you go to find some peace of mind, detach from the rat race and sink into the warm embrace of a private onsen. It’s extremely comfortable, beautifully quiet and situated in such a way that you could quite happily spend your first few hours there gazing out your room’s massive window as the mist travels across the valleys and peaks below. That’s what we did, anyway.

The property has 37 rooms and suites, split between 28 in the main building and nine standalone villas. The fact it’s all quite spread out helps the Hiramatsu Karuizawa feel laid back and unhurried. There aren’t any busy areas, no crowds of tourists milling about to harshen your nature buzz. All of the buildings are defined by long corridors, light tones, open spaces and of course plenty of glass to help you see the trees and hills outside. 

The other reason you’d stay here is the Hiramatsu name. If you’re familiar with these guys, you know they don’t mess about when it comes to comfort and Japanese-oriented luxury. If you stay in one of their hotels you’ll remember it for the rest of your life. Because they care about what they’re doing and put thought into everything, from the fact that mattresses are changed and rotated every three months to the absolutely gorgeous McIntosh tube amplifier free to use (along with a respectable record collection) in the music room. Personally, I will forever be grateful to the Hiramatsu Karuizawa for introducing me to the music of jazz-fusion guitar god (and local boy) Kazumi Watanabe.

What are the rooms like at Hiramatsu Karuizawa?

In the main building, room categories range from 16 Deluxe Twins through to seven Junior Suites, four Miyota Suites and the final boss of rooms, the Hiramatsu Suite. The villas - five Villa Suites, two Terrace Villa Suites and two Dog Villa Suites - offer more residential vibes, with lots of floor space. 

Our room - a suite - was full of mellow, natural finishes: wide-plank timber flooring, a stone-clad bathroom, and seamless custom joinery that meant things like the jaw-droppingly big telly were concealed from view unless we wanted to see it. Furniture is low-profile and geometric. What’s consistent throughout all rooms is large windows, in many cases opening onto private terraces. While still jet lagged we spent a lot of time on our big balcony, drinking coffee (using beans you grind in the room!) or beer, watching the ever-changing weather creep its way across the volcanic landscapes of Miyota.

And of course… the onsen. Every room has one and from the moment you check out of the hotel you’ll miss yours like a dearly departed relative. Semi open-air and carved from rough-hewn stone, the onsen pipe up steaming, mineral-rich water from the ground below. Slide open the doors and you’re essentially bathing outside. An experience that will make even the most hairy, lumpen foreigner at least 5 percent more Japanese. 

What’s there to eat and drink at Hiramatsu Karuizawa?

Due to the Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota’s relatively isolated (in a good way!) location, you’re not really going to be popping in and out of the resort much. The nearest town is a short train ride away. As a result dining at the hotel is a big part of the experience. When we were there, two different restaurants (a very posh French one and an ever-so-slightly less posh Italian one) were available. 

Both restaurants (one right at the top of the building, the other at the bottom) offered tasting menus that spanned about eight courses. If you enjoy the finest of fine dining, then this will be right up your alley. These are carefully assembled, beautifully presented plates, utilising fresh, hyper-seasonal produce from the Nagano region. The main restaurant’s chef, Claude Bocusi’s student Akio Yanagihara, is clearly the hotel’s pride and joy. The aforementioned coffee beans placed in each room are his signature blend, and the calligraphy featured throughout the building is all inspired by his sauce work. When was the last time anyone even remarked on your sauce work?

Breakfast is light, relatively European, and delivered in courses. You’ve also got access to the Tabiki Lounge area, on the grounds of the resort, which feels a bit like the chill-out camping area of a music festival. Come sundown why not grab a tea (or a marshmallow), gaze into the fire pit and take in the full glory of your surroundings. 

What’s the area like around Hiramatsu Karuizawa Miyota?

Big, beautiful and extremely serene. Miyota is spread around the bottom of Mount Asama, an active volcano that shapes both the geography and the climate. If you’ve only spent time around the south of Honshu then you’ll be surprised at how cool and dry this part of Nagano is. Traffic is rare, development is sparse, and the landscape is dominated by natural elements (including plenty of dense coniferous woodland) rather than man-made ones.

Historically, the area is incredibly significant. Evidence of Jomon-period (which would be approximately considered neolithic) habitation has been found on the actual site of the hotel. As a result each room contains a fragment of millennia-old pottery, nicely linking the contemporary interiors to the site’s prehistoric past. Don’t break it.

In terms of other stuff to do in the area, Miyota is a richly rewarding place for people wanting a big dose of nature to counterbalance the hyper-real urban rush of most Japanese holidays. Cycling, hiking and (in the winter) skiing are a big part of the region’s appeal. Anyone craving a bit of tarmac can pop over to Karuizawa, a perfectly pleasant town with its fair share of cafes, galleries and restaurants. Buzzy soba restaurant Kawakami An Honten was the best place we found, and certainly worth the 20-minute queue. 

Why you should book a stay at Hiramatsu Karuizawa?

It’s a quiet, contemplative counterpoint to the typical Japan trip. What with the country’s tourist hot spots becoming increasingly over-crowded, it’s never been more important to seek out the country’s less-obvious (but no less wonderful) spots. The Hiramatsu Karuizawa lives up to the firm’s sky-high standards, both in terms of the property’s comfort levels (scented linen!) and also the quality of the staff (many of whom provided exemplary service despite not speaking much English). To be a guest at the Hiramatsu Karuizawa is to be lovingly dropped into a peaceful world that will seem, in the weeks and months that follow, like a blissful dream. The Hiramatsu company has achieved something laudable, a resort that possesses qualities and features desired by western guests, but also remains uncompromising in its Japanese values and identity. And in a turbo-globalised world in which hospitality venues can quickly lose their identity, this misty hillside idyll stands apart and gloriously alone.