John Lennon's patronage at the French Bakery is memorialized by his portrait overlooking the baguettes he is said to have purchased there regularly during his family's summer stays in Karuizawa, Japan. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)
The early August heat subsides as you move west from Tokyo, from an uncomfortable broil to a refreshing cool in the mountains of Nagano prefecture, where no better weekend getaway awaits than Karuizawa.
An established stop on the old Nakasendo route in central Japan from the 17th century, the forested village fell to western influences once Christian missionaries in the 19th century discovered it as an escape from the lowland torrid summers. Hence, a visible impact on architecture, cuisine and culture is visible throughout the town, along with widespread use of English by many of the service staff who keep the commercial side of Karuizawa humming. Today, Karuizawa is a Japanese counterpart to American western mountain towns like Aspen, Colo.; Bend, Ore.; and Santa Fe, N.M. It’s just as popular with the affluent set who build comfy, upscale getaways on large wooded lots tucked away on surrounding mountain roads or the edge of town. One of the town’s best-known celebrity visitors is still celebrated in Karuizawa with an understated nod. Fans show up to walk the same streets, sip the same tea and eat the same baked goods that John Lennon preferred. The legendary Beatle, along with his wife, Yoko Ono, and their young son, Sean, spent summers in Japan, including long stays in Karuizawa, from 1976 to 1979. Beware that Karuizawa is a tourist destination that attracts a sizable crowd during Japanese holidays such as Obon, a fact my girlfriend and I confirmed during the second weekend of August. Elbowing our way through the vacationers milling around on Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza outside the shops selling fruit jams, woodworking and leather goods, we pulled up to the French Bakery.
The French Bakery on Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza in Kaurizawa, Japan, is popular with tourists and locals alike. Arrive early for the best selection. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)
A photo of Lennon hangs on the wall facing the front entrance, so you know you’re in the right place. Small cards in baskets of baguettes explain in handwritten Japanese and English that these are the type Lennon favored on his regular visits. Otherwise, the place is like any other Japanese bakery.
Grab a tray and a set of tongs and find the bread, pastries and pie that suit you. We piled on an apple dumpling, meat pie, small blueberry pie and croissants and settled in with coffee for a late breakfast at one of the few small tables.
A stream of customers never let up, from passersby and tourists to a group of serious bicyclists topping off their ride with caffeine and carbs.
From the French Bakery, we trooped the leisurely half-mile past the Karuizawakai Tennis Court to the Mampei Hotel. The courts are famous as the spot where Crown Prince Akihito, later the emperor and now the emperor emeritus, met his bride, Michiko Shoda, during a doubles match in August 1957.
Delicious but pricey, the apple pie and milk tea set, John Lennon’s favorite, comes with ambience at the Mampei Hotel café in Karuizawa, Japan. (Olga Shvets)
The Lennons made Room 128 their summer home at the Mampei Hotel, still a stately presence surrounded by forest. The Café Terrace menu still recommends the apple pie and milk tea combo made famous as John’s favorite: 2,800 yen (about $17.60) for the set. It’s worth noting the atmosphere that comes with the service. The story goes that Lennon instructed the staff on how to properly make this version of tea.
Its frothy milk topping reminded me of the tea my mother sometimes made at home, no doubt while a Beatles ballad flowed from the AM radio in the kitchen.
On the QT
Directions: Karuizawa is a 2 ½ hour drive from Yokota Air Base on Japan’s expressways, or an hour by shinkansen from Tokyo Station.
Times: The French Bakery is open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Aug. 26, but closed Thursdays afterward; the Mampei Hotel Café Terrace is open daily, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Costs: A large baguette costs 432 yen at the French Bakery. A serving of traditional apple pie and milk tea at the Mampei Hotel Café Terrace will cost 2,800 yen.
Food: The bakery has wide selection of fresh baked goods, but arrive early for the best selection. The Mampei Hotel has a full-service dining room in addition to the café.
Information: French Bakery: french-bakery.co.jp; Mampei Hotel: mampei.co.jp
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