Mampei Hotel, Karuizawa, c. 1940. The hotel was located north of the modern Karuizawa Station – at Kyu-Karuizawa, the former post town, where the building had first been used to accommodate travelers on the feudal Nakasendo highway beginning in 1764 as the ryokan Kameya.
See also:
Karuizawa, c. 1920.
Mikasa Hotel, Karuizawa, c. 1920.
“Play Ground in Karuizawa”, c. 1930.
“Mampei Hotel traces its origins to the Kameya Inn, founded in 1764 to accommodate travelers passing through Karuizawa [on the Nakasendo highway]. In 1894, inspired by the patronage of Canadian missionaries, Mampei Sato transformed the hostelry into Karuizawa’s first Western-style hotel.
“Through his experience with overseas guests, Mampei learned that warm hospitality and dedicated service transcended language barriers. To this day the classic hotel lives by its founder’s credo： ‘Hospitality, from the heart, is what makes a truly great hotel.'”
– Mampei Hotel website
Map: Karuizawa and Kyu-Karuizawa, ca. 1940, showing the location of the Mampei Hotel.