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Slow lanes

The beautifully preserved town of Obuse in Nagano prefecture is home to old sake breweries and silk farms. It’s also where we parade this season’s womenswear.

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Step back in time

Less than two hours north of the resort of Karuizawa by train is Obuse, a sleepy, picturesque town of just 12,000 residents. Locals have been mindful of preserving the town’s traditional wooden architecture and playing up their connection to history: the poet Matsuo Basho passed through while wandering the countryside, and ukiyo-e woodblock artist Hokusai kept a studio here 160 years ago.

Woman wearing a brown Lanvin coat and skirt with Drawer blouse and Burberry boots and bag, standing against a wooden structure in Obuse.
Coat and skirt by Lanvin, blouse by Drawer, boots and bag by Burberry
Model wearing Gucci poncho and Beams shirt posed against traditional Japanese architecture in Obuse.
Poncho by Gucci, shirt by Beams, trousers and bag by Black Fleece By Brooks Brothers, jacket (carried) by Moncler
Model wearing Ralph Lauren Blue Label cardigan and Drawer trousers stands in doorway overlooking lush garden in Obuse.
Cardigan by Ralph Lauren Blue Label, shirt by Rem Relief from L’Apartement, scarf by Burberry, trousers by Drawer, glasses by Bottega Veneta
Model wearing a navy Drawer coat over a Bottega Veneta top and skirt in a traditional Japanese courtyard garden.
Coat by Drawer, top and skirt by Bottega Veneta, scarf by Deuxième Classe, bag by Giuzeppe Zanotti Design from L’Apartement
Woman wearing navy Drawer jumper and Prada skirt walking past traditional Japanese storefront in Obuse.
Jumper by Drawer, skirt by Prada, coat (carried) by Knott from Tomorrowland, bag by Jimmy Choo
Model wearing Drawer jumper and Bottega Veneta glasses stands in traditional Japanese street with wooden architecture and curved roof tiles.
Jumper by Drawer, necklace by Beams, jumper on shoulder by Prada, glasses by Bottega Veneta, trousers by Galerie Vie from Tomorrowland

Chestnut orchards and sake breweries are Obuse’s signature attractions now. Frequent visitors are fond of the fare at Obusedo, which features locally grown vegetables. The restaurant’s owner, Tsugio Ichimura, the 17th-generation owner of Masuichi sake brewery, also runs a hotel and has an informal role as one of the town’s cultural preservationists.

Location: Obusedo
Art Director: Akio Hasegawa
Model: Hana Sawamura
Hair & Make up: Ayumi Naito
Producer: Naoko Kato

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