Marukan Shokudou — Restaurant in Karuizawa

We loved the food so much we made a reservation to come back again! At first, we were a little tentative because of the reviews and we did not make a reservation. Thankfully, the owner allowed us a seat - we really enjoyed it. It was absolutely delicious and comforting home-cooked meal in a cosy setting. We just went for the dinner special set both times, which came with appetisers, soup, a main, rice, dessert and tea. She made effort to cook a different main for us and we also had different sides from the day before. I personally loved the panfried cod fish and the various appetisers she made. The restaurant is run only by her, so please be patient and understanding if she...

If you're looking for Japanese food made by a local actually living in Karuizawa, look no further. It can only fit about 10 people and apparently it gets quite popular in summer, so make sure to book in advance. If you have the chance, try speaking to the lady who runs it (all on her own). Be prepared to wait a little for food to come out. It's a homely feel, especially because it's run inside her house! If you like cats, you'll warm to Chibi the cute cat. My friend had the omakase fish set, I had pork katsu. Both were good, and the tsukemono...

We stopped by Karuizawa on our honeymoon in its off season. This was a cozy little spot run by a lady in her home. No frills, but the meal was plentiful and tasty! I ordered a homemade plum wine the woman said was made by her sister and a delicious mackerel course. A true home cooked meal! The woman was very friendly and let us hang out with her cat and chatted us up after our meal. In Japan it is good manners to eat your entire meal, and we made sure to do so. She said we were “good eaters” which was a seal of approval 😆! Thank you for your...