Karuizawa French Bakery: A Connection with John Lennon

Are you familiar with the long-established bakery called France Bakery in Old Karuizawa?

It’s a bakery that even the famous John Lennon loved!

There were photos of his visit displayed inside the shop!

Let me introduce you to France Bakery, one of Karuizawa’s most famous and long-established bakeries♪

French Bakery? France Bakery?

First, let’s talk about the history of France Bakery.

Established in 1951 in Old Karuizawa Ginza, it boasts a history of 75 years this year.

In 2006, they also opened an online shop, allowing customers who cannot come to Karuizawa directly to purchase France Bakery’s bread.

The founder was Torajiro Tamura.

At the time, he worked at the Karuizawa Manpei Hotel as the person in charge of bread and Western-style confectionery, providing Western-style confectionery and bread to overseas customers.

In 1951, he decided to become independent in Karuizawa and opened France Bakery.

To please international customers, the bakery was named “French Bakery,” and to make it understandable to Japanese customers, it was named “France Bakery” (with a different kanji).

So, both names are correct!
The business is now run by the third generation.

French Bakery is a bakery loved by John Lennon.

In the summer of 1977, the famous John Lennon visited this shop!

We even saw a photo of his visit inside the shop.
*Due to copyright restrictions, photography was not allowed.

He seemed to really like the French bread.
A loaf of French bread costs 378 yen.

I actually bought and ate one, and it was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
It was a simple French bread, without any unnecessary ingredients, with a nostalgic feel.It was a solid French bread and very delicious.

The shop also has an eat-in area where you can enjoy freshly baked bread on the spot.
Of course, drinks are also available, so enjoy them with your bread ☕

A Pilgrimage Site for UtaPri?

Besides John Lennon, recently, the idol group ST☆RISH from UtaPri*1 has a scene where they buy and eat bread, making it one of the pilgrimage sites.

Two of the idols reportedly purchased original commemorative bags for the 70th anniversary, which became popular among fans ☆

*1: The official name is “Uta no☆Prince-sama♪,” a hugely popular romance adventure game for women (otome game) with the first installment released in 2010. It is also the collective name for the media mix content that originated from it.

Basic Information and Parking for France Bakery

Unfortunately, France Bakery does not have its own parking lot.

The area around Old Karuizawa is crowded even on weekdays, and extremely crowded on weekends, so we don’t recommend driving through…

If you absolutely must drive, we recommend passing through Old Karuizawa before 9 AM!

After 9 AM, the number of cars and people increases rapidly. And here’s our recommended parking!

(1) Yagasaki Town Municipal Parking Lot
First 2 hours free!
It’s about a 20-minute walk to Old Karuizawa, but it’s perfect for strolling around and visiting various shops.

Facility Location: Yagasaki Park
Address: 19-30 Karuizawa Higashi, Karuizawa-machi, Kita-Saku-gun, Nagano Prefecture 389-0104
Rates: 400 yen for 2 hours to less than 4 hours (200 yen increase for each additional hour. Please check the website for details.)
Phone Number: 0267-45-8579

(2) Old Karuizawa Parking Lot, Karuizawa Town Promotion Corporation
Address: 763-1 Karuizawa, Karuizawa-machi, Kita-Saku-gun, Nagano Prefecture 389-0102
Number of Parking Spaces: 47
Rates: July to September → 400 yen for less than 1 hour, 200 yen for each additional hour
Outside the above period → 300 yen for less than 1 hour, 100 yen for each additional hour
Inquiries: 0267-41-1177 (Sawayaka Hat Management Office)

There are many coin-operated parking lots around Old Karuizawa
Many parking lots cost around 500 yen/day.

Some places charge between 700 and 1,000 yen per hour, so be sure to check the fees!

[French Bakery]
Address: 618 Karuizawa, Karuizawa-machi, Kita-Saku-gun, Nagano Prefecture 389-0102
Phone Number: TEL 0267-42-2155 FAX 0267-42-3756
Business Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed: Every Thursday (Open every day during summer)

The shop is open from 8 AM to 5 PM, and when I visited around 8 AM on a weekday, there were already several customers. I felt that this bakery is still loved by tourists and locals alike!

That concludes “Karuizawa French Bakery: A Connection with John Lennon”!