Returning, again and again, to another home in nature. At SANU 2nd Home, that rhythm becomes something to savor.
Cabins are scattered across places rich in nature and local character, from Karuizawa and Yatsugatake to Nasu and Hakuba. You can choose where to go depending on the season or your mood.
Pop into a nearby supermarket or farm stand to pick up ingredients, then cook together, each taking a role. Spend time as you wish, walking through nature or lingering indoors over a cup of coffee.
It may feel somewhat familiar, yet here, time moves just a little more slowly.
Time at SANU 2nd Home is also time spent drawing closer, little by little, to the land and the nature that surrounds it.
A Different Rhythm of Life in Karuizawa
Among the many SANU 2nd Home locations, Karuizawa is one of the easiest to reach from the city. Just about an hour from Tokyo Station by shinkansen, it opens out onto expansive nature, with Mount Asama at its center.
Karuizawa has several shops selling local produce. At the farm stand Asama no Kaori, you’ll find vegetables and fruits grown at the foot of Mount Asama. Specialty products from across Nagano are also available, along with seasonal ingredients that change throughout the year.
As you browse the produce, ideas for the day’s menu begin to take shape. After a few visits, you may start to recognize more and more of the names on the shelves.
Founded in 1972, Fine Cost Metzgerei Katayama is another shop firmly rooted in the area. The sausages and hams displayed in its case reflect the European influences that are woven into Karuizawa’s local culture.
Bring your chosen ingredients back to the cabin and lay them out in the kitchen. As everyone begins to move, a soft rhythm emerges in the space, even without assigning roles.
Sometimes conversation flows naturally; other times, everyone focuses quietly on their tasks. When you pause for a moment, you notice that time feels just a little richer than usual.
Immersed in Nature, Finding Yourself Again
One of the delights of SANU 2nd Home is the chance to sink into quiet, open moments framed by Karuizawa’s sweeping natural landscapes.
In the early morning, when the air is crisp and still, you step outside. The cabins sit in silence, and the only sounds are the gentle sway of trees and birdsong drifting through the forest.
You linger in that calm before returning inside to brew a cup of coffee. Steam curls upward in lazy spirals, and for a few minutes, the world narrows to this single, unhurried moment.
As you spend time in nature, even the smallest shifts in light or the faintest sounds draw your attention, revealing details you would likely overlook in the city. With every visit, these quiet discoveries accumulate, revealing the gentle rhythms of life in nature.
The softness of the earth beneath your feet, the way the wind moves through the trees, the dance of sunlight on the leaves. As you take it all in, the time you may have intended for thinking gradually transforms into a time fully spent feeling nature with your whole body.
Stepping away from daily life, surrendering to nature, and letting time flow gently. As you move freely between city and forest over repeated stays, your way of living and your perspective begin to shift, subtly and gracefully. Beyond that change lies a warmth that remains constant. Next time, you will surely return to SANU 2nd Home, greeted by the familiar feeling of “I’m home.”
【SANU 2nd Home】
Live with nature.
SANU 2nd Home is a service that offers uniquely designed shared vacation homes—
“a second home in nature”—located amidst beautiful natural settings across Japan.
Moving back and forth between the city and nature,
and it gradually become part of the local daily life.
Based on the concept of “Live with nature.”,
SANU proposes a new lifestyle.
SANU currently operate 231 rooms across 35 locations nationwide (as of March 2026).
Its network spans from Niseko, Hokkaido, to Amami Oshima,
and it plans to expand to over 100 locations both domestically and internationally by 2029.
As its network grows, SANU enrichs both nature and the local communities, and cherish the regenerative approach.
Reservations & Inquiries
https://www.sa-nu.com/