Bleston Court Yukawatan

Karuizawa is a mountain retreat in Nagano Prefecture, popular among city dwellers looking to return to nature with some stunning scenery and peaceful relaxation. Gentle streams and waterfalls run through the area, with a cleansing effect on the mind and mood. It’s in this area that the owner of Bleston Court Yukawatan decided to establish his restaurants. With a heavy focus on the beauty of nature and the changing of the seasons, the same sensibilities which inspired Japanese poets for centuries are present in their dishes. The menu changes throughout the year, featuring local ingredients such as wild venison and boar, poultry, and other livestock fed with only organic cheese and nuts; and fungi and plants native to the surrounding areas. On warmer evenings, don’t miss the chance to dine outside, as they set up a full service and dining area on a patio out in the middle of the trees. The warm light of candles, which radiates over white cloth-draped tables against a backdrop of twilight forest, creates a dreamlike atmosphere that simply can’t be created in the urban sprawl of a city.