Nagano Prefecture - Karuizawa Part 2
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
This is Part 2 of our family vacation update to Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
Blueberry Picking -
All you can eat blueberry picking. Or should I say all you can eat and pick until you make yourself sick! We thoroughly enjoyed the slower pace of the week and still managed to do some blueberry picking, visited an amazing waterfall and enjoyed great fellowship with the Steward family.
Japanese Style BBQ -
We vacationed with the Steward's for part of our stay in Karuizawa and enjoyed Japanese style BBQ together a couple of evenings. I have to say I really like Japanese style BBQ. It seems to be a bit more healthy and you pace yourself as you eat. Because the grill is small, food takes a while to prepare and the meal is served in shifts if you will. I find it allows more time to socialize around the grill, slowly enjoy the meal over a few hours, and anticipate the next round of meat, vegetables and various sauces.
Par of what makes the experience different is you pour the BBS sauce into a bowl and dip your food into the bowl rather than coating the meat and cooking. This way all your vegetables, meats and rice may be coated with the sauce evenly. I think I prefer this style of BBQ and the slower pace it provides as well as reason to hang around a fellowship.
We vacationed with the Steward's for part of our stay in Karuizawa and enjoyed Japanese style BBQ together a couple of evenings. I have to say I really like Japanese style BBQ. It seems to be a bit more healthy and you pace yourself as you eat. Because the grill is small, food takes a while to prepare and the meal is served in shifts if you will. I find it allows more time to socialize around the grill, slowly enjoy the meal over a few hours, and anticipate the next round of meat, vegetables and various sauces.
Par of what makes the experience different is you pour the BBS sauce into a bowl and dip your food into the bowl rather than coating the meat and cooking. This way all your vegetables, meats and rice may be coated with the sauce evenly. I think I prefer this style of BBQ and the slower pace it provides as well as reason to hang around a fellowship.
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| Bob at the grill, can you smell that good food? |
All you can eat blueberry picking. Or should I say all you can eat and pick until you make yourself sick! We thoroughly enjoyed the slower pace of the week and still managed to do some blueberry picking, visited an amazing waterfall and enjoyed great fellowship with the Steward family.
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| His basket never seems to get full... |
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| Ice cream with fresh blueberry sauce - oh so good! |
Karuizawa - Shiraito Falls -
Shiraito-no-taki waterfall is one of the most famous sites in Karuizawa. It is known as the White Thread waterfall for the way the water falls directly out of the sounding rock. We took a short road trip one afternoon so see these amazing falls. I guess certain times of the year they have a wonderful light show projected over the falls. The area was beautiful and reminded me of places around Western Washington with many ferns, small streams and beautiful crystal clear pools surrounding the waterfall.
Shiraito-no-taki waterfall is one of the most famous sites in Karuizawa. It is known as the White Thread waterfall for the way the water falls directly out of the sounding rock. We took a short road trip one afternoon so see these amazing falls. I guess certain times of the year they have a wonderful light show projected over the falls. The area was beautiful and reminded me of places around Western Washington with many ferns, small streams and beautiful crystal clear pools surrounding the waterfall.
It was raining the day we went but it had been so hot it really was still pretty comfortable to be in shorts and a jacket. These falls are only 9.8 feet high but span 230 feet around a curved rock formation creating a beautiful scene.
Old Karuizawa -
We spent an evening walking around Old Karuizawa visiting small gift shops, ice cream stands, and also a small Anglican church built by Alexander Croft in the 1890's. He was Canadian born missionary who founded the Anglican church in Tokyo and also the Shaw Memorial Chapel in Karuizawa. He was very influential in bringing many Japanese to Christ who later would become prominent business and political leaders in Japan
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| Karuizawa Shiraito Falls - Karuizawa, Japan |
We spent an evening walking around Old Karuizawa visiting small gift shops, ice cream stands, and also a small Anglican church built by Alexander Croft in the 1890's. He was Canadian born missionary who founded the Anglican church in Tokyo and also the Shaw Memorial Chapel in Karuizawa. He was very influential in bringing many Japanese to Christ who later would become prominent business and political leaders in Japan
Mr. Croft is also credited along with James Dixon for making Karuizawa a popular summer vacation destination in their attempts to escape the stifling heat of Tokyo. I find it amusing how history is sometimes to very practical and this town became popular because it was a cool pleasant place to live. Apparently one of their other claims to fame is John Lennon vacationed in Karuizawa in the 1970's as well.
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| Shaw Memorial Chapel - Old Karuizawa town |
Stone Church -
This was a really unique and beautiful church. The church seats about fifty people and is open to the public. This church was apparently built in commemoration of Uchimura Kanso who was a leader in the Non-church Movement and a Christian evangelist. When we entered there was a pastor welcoming everyone and indicating it was a non-denominational church where all are welcome to worship at their Sunday services.
Maybe that is what was meant by the non-church movement but I can not be sure. Sometimes things get lost in translation and I am wondering if that is what happened when they say non-church movement. None the less, it was a beautifully landscaped area and the inside walls of the church were covered with apotheosis which made if feel like you were outside while sitting in the pews.
Thank you to all our friends and family for your prayers and support. We are thrilled about what God is doing in our community and the opportunity to serve Him here in Japan. We hope you are all off to a good start in the new year and are thankful for God's faithfulness and amazing love for us.
In His Service with gratitude,
K. Chadduck
This was a really unique and beautiful church. The church seats about fifty people and is open to the public. This church was apparently built in commemoration of Uchimura Kanso who was a leader in the Non-church Movement and a Christian evangelist. When we entered there was a pastor welcoming everyone and indicating it was a non-denominational church where all are welcome to worship at their Sunday services.
Maybe that is what was meant by the non-church movement but I can not be sure. Sometimes things get lost in translation and I am wondering if that is what happened when they say non-church movement. None the less, it was a beautifully landscaped area and the inside walls of the church were covered with apotheosis which made if feel like you were outside while sitting in the pews.
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| Stone Church in Karuizawa, Japan |
In His Service with gratitude,
K. Chadduck