軽井沢でも買うのはホタテ。ただし某国輸入禁止ではない「森のホタテ」です。 : TSURUYA Karuizawa Ten

In recent years, when it comes to souvenirs in Karuizawa, this local supermarket has become the main spot, instead of the old town Ginza or the shopping mall at the south exit of the station. It's located about 1km south of Nakakaruizawa Station on the Shinano Railway.

With a clientele of local residents as well as frequent visitors to their vacation homes in Karuizawa, the selection here is quite upscale and diverse. They offer many exclusive products, including private brand items and custom products sourced from local suppliers.

After strolling around the old town and Kumoba Pond area, I took a Seibu bus and a taxi to arrive just before 3 PM. After enjoying a mocha soft serve at Mikado Coffee inside the store, I browsed around and purchased:
- Maru Nasu Kasuzuke [Maruni Shokuhin]
- Momo Ham Slices [Shinshu Ham]
- Butter Cream Milk Bread [Mondoru Tamuraya]
- Mori no Hotate [Mori no Kinoko Kobo]
- Shichimi Cheese [Takamizawa Raktile Life]
- Local Vegetables (Japanese radish, cabbage, etc.)
- Pizza Ingredients (dough, sauce, cheese)
I also wanted to buy chestnuts from Obuse, but it seemed to be slightly too early in the season.

After paying, I took my purchases to the service counter. This shop, which attracts many visitors from outside the prefecture, is quite convenient as they will package the items and send them to your home via courier just by filling out a slip.

Since it's too much to list everything I bought, I will mainly comment on "Mori no Hotate" due to its seasonal relevance.

This product consists of cross-sections of enoki mushroom roots, resembling real scallops. When pan-fried with butter, it has a delightful texture and surprisingly gives the sensation of eating scallops.

It might be appreciated if sent to a certain country currently suffering from a scallop shortage due to a ban on imported seafood from Japan.

I also enjoyed the Shichimi cheese and pizza ingredients I purchased for the first time this time.

The second weekend after the state of emergency was lifted, I took a trip to Karuizawa for the first time in a year. As usual, the main objective was to gather local ingredients from Nagano. I arrived around 10:30 AM via the shinkansen and switched to the Shinano Railway, heading to a supermarket about a 15-minute walk from Nakaguriizawa Station.

This local supermarket based in Nagano offers a selection that rivals that of high-end supermarkets in Tokyo, including their original products. On this day, it was bustling with many customers, including vacation home residents.

Here’s what I purchased at this store:
- Fresh chestnuts from Obuse
- Shinshu salmon sashimi
- Maru eggplant with sake lees
- White cucumber with sake lees☆
- Fresh mizuna
- Various jams and spreads☆
- Forest scallops
- Various fresh noodles, including ramen and soba☆
- Rice balls with vegetable miso☆
*☆ denotes original brand products.

I was hungry, so I immediately ate the rice balls on the terrace in the back, while the rest was packed in cool delivery boxes at the service counter, handled efficiently.

By 9:30 AM the next day, the cardboard box arrived at my home, neatly packed with my purchases. I immediately began enjoying my life with Shinshu ingredients over the next few days. Everything was delicious, but the standout this time was definitely the chestnuts from Obuse.

Interestingly, on the morning I set out, I learned from my reviewer that the chestnuts used for the bamboo wind shop's chestnut rice were from Ibaraki and Korea, so I was looking to buy quality chestnuts to make my own. The timing couldn't have been better.

Moreover, these chestnuts were significantly larger than the ones I had previously purchased from the Nagano Prefectural antenna shop in Ginza. I made chestnut rice with them, and they were indeed delicious. Thanks to these chestnuts, I felt I could finally create a chestnut rice dish that exceeds that of the bamboo wind shop.

Also, an interesting find was the forest scallops, which are cross-sections of the root of enoki mushrooms. When sautéed with butter and soy sauce, they were delicious. I enjoyed them as steamed vegetables alongside the sausages I bought in Karuizawa.

This store certainly offers a more interesting selection compared to the souvenir shops in Old Karuizawa or the food shops at the Karuizawa station outlet. I will definitely visit again.

On this weekend, I spontaneously decided to take a trip to Karuizawa after waking up in the morning. Last weekend, I visited the Nagano Prefecture antenna shop in Ginza, but they didn't have chestnut rice, and the pickled round eggplants and Shinshu salmon didn’t quite match my expectations. That’s why I felt I needed to visit the actual location.

I thought it was best to go this day before Tokyo becomes a GO TO destination next week, as it would get crowded, and I also anticipated it would get colder.

I arrived at the station a little after 10 a.m. via shinkansen and started my day with shopping and lunch at the outlet near the south exit. Afterward, I took the Shinano Railway and a taxi to reach this local quality supermarket located a short walk south from Nakakaruizawa Station.

This place is a favorite among vacation home owners, offering a variety of Shinshu ingredients and unique original products. It seems they also have many customers from far away; the service counter skillfully packs purchased items into cardboard boxes for delivery upon request.

The first item I bought was 166g of Shinshu salmon sashimi. This local salmon is a hybrid of rainbow trout and brown trout developed over ten years by the Nagano Prefectural Fisheries Experiment Station and is farmed in the region.

Next, I picked up a pickled white gourd from Maruni Foods. Since the sought-after "round eggplants" were unavailable, I opted for the white gourd from the same company instead.

I also bought various vegetables such as cabbage, Chinese cabbage, and rhubarb, as well as Shinshu miso and some original brand dried fruits. I arranged to have everything except the salmon sent via delivery.

The first thing I tried was the Shinshu salmon that I brought home. I had it as sashimi, and it was distinctly different in flavor compared to the overly fatty Norwegian Atlantic salmon. The beautiful orange flesh had a fine texture and a refined taste.

The delivery arrived at my home at 9 a.m. the next day. Considering I purchased it just past 1 p.m. the day before, the convenience was comparable to that of an online supermarket. For the time being, I won’t have to worry about running out of Shinshu ingredients.

For me, the greatest joy of travel is discovering and experiencing local ingredients and dishes. I find supermarkets frequented by locals much more interesting than scenic spots or historical sites.

However, since Kinokuniya left the Kyu-Karuizawa Rotary, I haven't visited any supermarkets in Karuizawa. As I was planning a two-night, three-day summer trip, I discovered a promising store in Nakakaruizawa. The following morning, on the second day, I immediately went to check it out.

About a 10-minute walk south from Nakakaruizawa Station, adjacent to Yukawa Furusato Park, is the Tsuruya Karuizawa store, part of a chain with over 30 locations in Nagano Prefecture.

This well-known store attracts many customers from outside the prefecture because of its extensive selection of Nagano-produced ingredients, original brand products, and luxury items catering to vacation homeowners.

I arrived at the store at around 11 a.m., where the view of Mount Asama was great from the parking lot, and I noticed quite a high proportion of luxury cars parked there.

While exploring the spacious store, I purchased items mainly categorized into two groups: Shinshu specialties and Tsuruya original brand products.

In the former category, I bought:
- Smoked Shinshu Salmon
- Local pickles (nasu kasuzuke, asazuke pickled mustard greens)
- Potato chips made with Nakano-grown garlic
- Seasoning (miso)

In the latter category:
- Jam (apple butter, lemon butter, etc.)
- Shinshu apple sparkling juice
- Butter chicken curry

Although I really wanted the sashimi-grade cut of the premium Shinshu salmon, which is 1.5 times the price of Norwegian Atlantic salmon, I had to forgo that since I was traveling.

As my bags got quite heavy, I sent some items home from a counter set up by Kuroneko Yamato within the store. It was very convenient as they handle all the packing once you hand them your shopping items.

The contents of the package that arrived at my home ahead of my return to Tokyo were all delicious. My companion praised the original jams and juices, but I was particularly fond of the salmon, chips, and pickles.

Next time, I plan to bring a cooler bag on the last day of my trip to buy fresh food as well.