Savor the beauty of Karuizawa's four seasons with the heart of Japan.

Opened on April 1, 2020 by Kenji Takahashi, who trained at the legendary Japanese restaurant Sakurada in Kyoto for nine years and earned a Michelin star for nine years after becoming independent, and Yasuyuki Onuma, an owner and chef of “Auberge de Primavera”, a pioneer of French cuisine in Karuizawa, who trained at the legendary French restaurants “Daikanyama Renga-ya” and “Ginza L’ecrin.” You can enjoy the “quintessence of Japanese cuisine with a fusion of French cuisine’s beauty” by the two chefs to your heart’s content.



Sitting calmly at home.

The name of our restaurant, “Onza” is derived from the Zen word “Kikeonza”, which is written in “Hekigannroku”. This Zen word can be referred as “Sitting calmly at home,” and “home” refers to one’s true self. We hope that our restaurant will be a familiar place, where you can relax and enjoy the dishes that gently reach the depths of the Japanese soul. Please spend a relaxing time with your loved ones in the rich nature, away from the everyday life, with delicious sake and tea to go with the food.



Japanese cuisine that gently stimulates the five senses and combines the beauty of French cuisine.

Each dish is carefully finished and has a delicious taste that soaks into your body. This is a beautiful and delicious Japanese cuisine fused with the flamboyance of French cuisine. All the ingredients, including tuna and other fresh fish, crabs, and matsutake mushrooms, are of the highest quality, all of which are carefully selected from the region of origin. You can enjoy the seasonal food from the beginning to the end. For 20 years, Takahashi has been collecting carefully selected dishes that are equivalent to kimono for cooking. The dishes that change with the seasons will further enhance the cuisine of the restaurant and gently stimulate the five senses.



A full range of pairings also for non-drinkers to enjoy

We offer a wide selection of Japanese sake to go with our cuisine from all over Japan. It is also attractive to select parings of sake, champagne, and wine from the list of 7,000-bottles of Auvergne de Primavera cellar. There are also sake pairings, wine (Western-style) pairings, and even both pairings, so you can adjust the amount depending on the pace of your drinking. We also have high quality green teas and fermented teas brewed with organically grown tea leaves that are carefully selected from the soil.



Green tea leaves that overturns the concept of Japanese food, staying in your mind

Seasonal desserts are also part of the fun at Onza. In Japanese cuisine, you might not have high expectations for dessert after a meal. However, Yasuyuki Onuma’s fusion of French cooking techniques in Japanese desserts turns this notion on its head and leaves a long aftertaste at the end of the meal.



Chef Kenji Takahashi

After graduating from high school, his grandparents recommended that he should have a career in the future, so he studied at Tsuji Culinary Institute for two years. After eating out at many restaurants to find a job that suited him, he was impressed by the beauty, taste and aroma of the cuisine of "Kyoto Sakurada" and trained there. Trained at Sakurada for about 9 years. At the age of 29, he opened the restaurant "Oryori Yoshifuku" in Setagaya, Tokyo. The restaurant received one star in the Michelin Guide for nine years from 2010 to 2018. It moved to Higashi-Ginza to celebrate its 10th year. It has been featured in the media for a year and a half as a restaurant loved by gourmets and gourmet customers from overseas. In the summer of 2019, he met Chef Onuma, owner of “Auberge de Primavera” in Karuizawa and teamed up to create a delicious Japanese restaurant in Karuizawa. Opened the restaurant, “Onza” in April 2020.


Supervisor Yasuyuki Onuma

After training at the legendary “Daikanyama Renga-ya” and Japan's leading grand maison, “Ginza L’ecrin”, he worked as head chef at “Fit Resort”, head chef at “Karuizawa 900 City Club”, and head chef at “Hakone Auberge Au Mirador” before opening “Primavera”, a pioneering Karuizawa French restaurant, in 1996. Since then, the facility has been gradually expanded to become the current Auberge. He also runs a sister restaurant, “Pyrenees”, where you can enjoy cuisine cooked in a cheminée (fireplace). Born in 1961.

Please look forward to seeing Kenji Takahashi and Yasuyuki Onuma, the two chefs at Onza, together. We look forward to seeing you there.


Menu


Sundays / public holidays
business hours
12:00〜23:00 Closed

lunch
Simultaneous start from 12:00
"Lunch Kaiseki"
8,000 yen/person (8,800 yen including tax and service charge not included)
15,000 yen/person (16,500 yen including tax and service charge not included)

dinner
15:00〜
"Okimari" 7,500 yen/person (8,250 yen including tax, service charge not included)
"Kaiseki course" 15,000 yen/person (16,500 yen including tax, service charge not included)

– Occasionally
The chef will prepare about four seasonal dishes. After that, please enjoy the à la carte menu according to your preference. (The prices for à la carte items vary depending on the dish.) – Kaiseki
15,000 yen (16,500 yen including tax), 25,000 yen (27,500 yen including tax) negotiable
Wed/Thu/Fri/Saturday
business hours
15:00〜23:00 Closed
*Lunch is limited to reserved business.
*Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

cooking
"Okimari" 7,500 yen/person (8,250 yen including tax, service charge not included)
"Kaiseki course" 15,000 yen/person (16,500 yen including tax, service charge not included)

- Occasionally
The chef will prepare about four seasonal dishes. After that, please enjoy the à la carte menu according to your preference. (The prices for à la carte items vary depending on the dish.)
- Kaiseki
15,000 yen (16,500 yen including tax), 25,000 yen (27,500 yen including tax) negotiable
Notes
* Reservation acceptance 1 month in advance (please contact us for groups, reservations, etc.)
* If you have any food allergies, please do not hesitate to contact us.
* Those who have many extremely weak foods (mostly seafood, vegetarian, etc.) may be refused.
* Children must be at least 10 years old. (Except for charter)
Cancellation Policy
The day before = 50% of the cooking price
On the day = 100% of cooking price and special order items

Store Guide

1278-11 Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture Inside the Auberge de Primavera About 7 minutes walk from the train / Karuizawacho station About 30 minutes from the car / Joshinetsu Expressway Usui / Karuizawa IC There are 9 seats at the counter and table seats / Business hours are from 17:30 (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) Credit cards accepted / Electronic money not accepted / All non-smokers / Private banquets for 2 and a half hours or more / Celebration and surprises allowed / Children allowed / Parking available * Parking space is limited. Please pardon when the car is full. In that case, please use a nearby paid parking lot.


  • RESTAURANT

  • STAY

  • JAPANESE CUISINE

  • PYRENEES