Please join us
The celebrations
We're celebrating our wedding with two gatherings a couple of days apart. First a traditional shrine ceremony in central Tokyo, then a relaxed celebration up in the mountains at Karuizawa. You're invited to both.
The first day
A traditional Shinto ceremony at dusk, in a quiet corner of the city.
Thursday, 12 November 2026
Ceremony at 4:00 pm · please arrive by 3:45 pm
The second day
A midday celebration up among the forests of Old Karuizawa.
Saturday, 14 November 2026
Ceremony at 11:30 am · please arrive by 11:00 am · reception at 12:30 pm
Dress code: cocktail / semi-formal for both. Gentlemen, a suit and tie; ladies, a cocktail dress, midi dress, elegant jumpsuit or something similarly dressy. Nothing black-tie, and no need to worry about strict Japanese dress rules.
The shape of the weekend
Here's roughly how the days flow. Only the two ceremonies are fixed. Everything else is just a loose suggestion, so come early, stay late, and make your own plans. There will be plenty of unofficial gatherings on either side of both days.
Most guests land a few days early to sleep off the jet lag and see the city. Expect a few impromptu meals and drinks as everyone arrives.
Come whenever suits youA traditional Shinto ceremony at dusk, short and moving, around an hour. Afterward we'll carry on into the evening over dinner and drinks nearby, including Bar After the Sunset, our marriage sponsor's place just around the corner from the shrine.
The easiest day to make the ~70-minute bullet-train hop up to Karuizawa and settle into the mountain town. Nothing is scheduled, but expect casual gatherings for anyone already up there.
Optional · travel whenever you likeA midday ceremony and reception in the forest and mountains, running a few hours. The evening will carry on over more food and drinks together.
Loop back to Tokyo, soak in an onsen, or push on to Nagano and beyond. A few ideas are further down the page.
The 12th is a Thursday and the 14th a Saturday, with the 13th free in between, so you can front-load or back-load the rest of your Japan trip however you please.
Getting there & around
Most of you are coming a long way, and we're so grateful you're making the trip. The plan is simple: fly into Tokyo, then take the bullet train up to Karuizawa for the second celebration.
Our single best tip. A Suica is Japan's tap-and-go card for trains, buses, convenience stores and vending machines. iPhone users can add one straight to Apple Wallet in a couple of minutes and top it up with a US or UK card. Do it before you leave home and you'll skip the ticket machines and queues on arrival. (Android has a Google Wallet Suica too.)
Where to stay
You'll want a base in Tokyo for the first few days, and somewhere near Karuizawa for the second celebration. We won't try to pick a Tokyo hotel for you, since there are so many good ones. But here's where we'd point first-timers, all on good train links and easy to get around from.
We've taken over Chacone Karuizawa, a pension house, for the nights of the 13th and 14th, and we'd love to have you there with us. It's a 15-minute walk from the station, all private rooms, with a big hall and a piano. We're offering it to our guests at a heavily reduced ¥5,000 (about $30) per person, per night.
Spots are limited, so if you'd like to stay with us, message Jacob directly to reserve a place.
Prefer a villa? Karuizawa is full of holiday homes and Airbnbs, good for a group or a family. We also know a few people who own villas in the area, so if that appeals, get in touch with Jacob and we'll see what we can arrange.
While you're in the mountains
A relaxed mountain town of forest walks, shopping and hot springs. A few of our favourites for the free time around the 13th and 14th.
Beyond the wedding
You've come all this way, so you may as well keep exploring. These are all within easy reach of Karuizawa, most of them a short hop by train.
~1 hr 20 by bus from Karuizawa Station
Our top pick. One of Japan's three most famous onsen towns, built around the Yubatake, a steaming "hot water field" that pours out thousands of litres a minute. Watch the yumomi water-cooling performance, and stay the night if you can.
~30 min by bullet train
A temple founded in the 7th century, one of the most important in Japan, with a hidden Amida Buddha at its heart. Nagano city grew up around it.
Hakuba · Nozawa Onsen · Myōkō · Shiga Kōgen
Some of Japan's best snow, though in November the season is only just waking up. Most resorts don't open until December, so for reliable early snow Hokkaido (Niseko) is the safer bet this early.
~half day via Nagano
Wild macaques soaking in a steaming hot spring at Jigokudani. It's about a 40-minute bus from Nagano Station and then a walk in, and in November they roam more than they do in deep winter.
~1.5 hrs west to Toyama, then on
Ride the bullet train west to Toyama, then carry on to Takayama's old merchant streets and the steep thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO village built to shed heavy snow.
~70 min by bullet train
Round out the trip in the city, with more food, more neighborhoods and more late nights.
Feeling adventurous? Renting a car is a great way to explore this part of the mountains at your own pace, reaching onsen towns, valleys and viewpoints the trains don't.
Please, no gifts and no money. Having you there with us, after such a journey, is more than we could ask for. Put it toward your own adventures in Japan instead.
Packing note: Tokyo in mid-November is mild (around 10–17°C). Karuizawa sits up in the mountains and runs noticeably colder, comfortable by day but chilly in the mornings and evenings. Bring a proper coat and warm layers for the second leg.
We've set up a WhatsApp group for sharing loose plans and finding each other for meals and drinks around the weekend. It's the easiest way to keep up with the unofficial gatherings.
It's invite-only, so it stays just our people. To be added, simply message Jacob directly and we'll get you in.
