Kyu-Karuizawa Shopping Street
By Peter Sidell
Walking through the popular “Church Street” shopping mall on Kyu-karuizawa's Main Street, you come upon the St. Paul Catholic Church. One day on a beautiful autumn morning, I witnessed a couple getting married here. As I watched, a colorful leaf fluttered down onto the train of the bride's beautiful white wedding dress.
St. Paul Catholic Church was established in 1935 by French people living in Karuizawa, along with the efforts and donations of other Catholic believers. Amongst them, Czech American architect, Antonin Raymond, and his artisan wife French-American Noemi (both devout followers), worked together for the construction of the building and its ornamentation.
