Kyu-Karuizawa Hotel Otowa no Mori/Kyu-Karuizawa Chapel

A hotel and chapel that best relate the dignity and history of Karuizawa.

Karuizawa which has long had many opportunities to be touched by Western culture has been the prominent Mecca for Western-style wedding ceremonies in Japan. The Kyu-Karuizawa Chapel attached to the Hotel Otowa no Mori has also been used frequently by foreign visitors for such ceremonies.

The Kyu-Karuizawa Hotel Otowa no Mori is a classic hotel with history and dignity that is located within a quiet forest just off the main street of Karuizawa. Built next to the hotel is Karuizawa’s oldest church, Karuizawa Shaw Memorial Church which also has the Kyu-Karuizawa Chapel whose weddings are performed in the Anglican tradition. The chapel’s stark white appearance reflects magnificently against the four seasons of the area, so coupled with its tradition and formality, it has become very popular as a wedding hall not just with the Japanese but also with foreign visitors especially travelers from Asia.