Nozawa Onsen
Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort Japan
Nozawa Onsen is a hot spring and ski resort village near Nagano. The skiing at Nozawa takes a bit of a backseat relative to the charming village that offers an interesting and traditional Japanese experience. The village is famous for the abundance of hot springs that were discovered in the 8th century. Steam rises up everywhere amongst the bustling narrow cobblestone streets and the traditional ryokan inns and shops.
The culture of skiing at Nozawa Onsen is also historic. Skiing was introduced to Nozawa Onsen in 1912 by an Austrian, and Nozawa is considered by some to be the birthplace of skiing in Japan. From 1930 Hannes Schneider from
St Anton Austria further developed the Nozawa ski culture by teaching Arlberg skiing techniques.
Nozawa Onsen and St Anton in Arlberg Austria are now sister resorts. Both villages have a strong ski culture steeped in tradition, but otherwise there’s very little in common between the two ski resort villages or the ski areas.
St Anton is a crowded alpine ski resort that is renowned for the gnarly extreme slopes and the party hard nightlife – almost the antithesis of Nozawa Onsen.
Nozawa Onsen Ski and Snowboard Terrain
Nozawa is only made up of one ski resort, unlike some of the other ski areas near Nagano, but it is reasonably large with 300 hectares of terrain, 50km of slopes, and an impressive vertical drop of 1,085 metres. Piste runs are equitably distributed for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders, although Nozawa is best suited to beginner and advanced skiers and boarders.
The ski area is situated on Kenashi-yama which literally translates to "Mount no-hair", yet the mountain is far from bald considering that the ski resort is below the tree-line. The ski runs have been cut through the trees with many wide groomed runs as well as an abundance of mogul runs.
The sight of all those egg carton shaped runs can make a powderhound howl, but powderhounds shouldn’t despair because the moguls generally don’t have long to form. Nozawa Onsen is blessed with over 10 metres of snow fall each season, thanks to its proximity to the Sea of Japan and the precipitation that’s picked up during storms. Nozawa Onsen is definitely emerging as a great destination for powderhounds and there are lots of days where the face shots come fast and furious.
Nozawa Onsen Off Piste Skiing
You won’t get into hot water with the patrollers for going off-piste. Hopefully the only hot water you’ll end up is in the onsen for après ski. Things have changed significantly at Nozawa Onsen in recent years, and skiing off-piste is now acceptable in many areas, and even riding the lift line won’t get you chased by a patroller with a whistle. Slackcountry skiing is another matter, so if you want to accept the associated risk, you’ll need to limbo and wear a camouflage outfit.
Where is Nozawa Onsen?
Nozawa Onsen is located in the northern part of the Nagano Prefecture on the Honshu Island of Japan. The resort is 46km northeast of the city of Nagano and 249km northwest of Tokyo. There are various other ski resorts near Nagano, so Nozawa Onsen can easily be combined with other ski areas on your Japan ski holiday.
From Narita airport catch the train to Tokyo Station (1 hour) and then the Nagano Shinkansen bullet train to Nagano Station (1:50 hours). From Nagano there are a few direct buses each day to Nozawa Onsen (1:20 hours), or get a regular train from Nagano to Togari Nozawa Onsen Station (about an hour). From there it’s 20 minutes by bus or taxi to Nozawa Ski Resort.
Nozawa Onsen Accommodation
Nozawa Onsen is not a purpose built ski village so there are no towering hotels or glitzy monstrosities. The village has lots of ryokans (traditional Japanese inns), many with their own onsens, as well as Minshuku (pensiones that are a little more rustic) and more Western style hotels.
Japanese style rooms are quite common in Nozawa. Tatami flooring and futon bedding is great if you want to fully experience the local culture, but if you need a bit more padding on your bed there are also lots of Western style rooms, typically with twin beds. Some lodgings have English speaking staff, although more prevalent is a little “Engrish” or no English at all. This is all part of the fun of being in Japan!
The
Nozawa Onsen accommodation options range from lodgings for the budget oriented up to first class properties with superior facilities, service and dining.
Facilities
The town and the ski resort have reasonably well developed services and facilities such as ski school (English instruction available) and rental equipment shops (that have large sizes!). Nozawa is family friendly and has child care facilities.
The restaurants and the Japanese cuisine are a highlight of Nozawa, and there are various places for a quiet beer or sake. The nightlife is not a patch on what you’d find in crazy St Anton!
Nozawa Onsen Activities
Considering the abundance of geothermal activity, the focus for après ski and off-slope activities is the onsens. The town has more than 30 natural hot springs that supply the ryokans as well as the 13 public baths (sotoyu). Be sure to do some man-scaping before you arrive in Nozawa!
The hottest spring is the Ogama Onsen. With waters bubbling up at about 90 degrees Celsius, the hot spring is used by the locals for cooking vegetables and to entertain the tourists.
Also hot is the Dosijin Fire Festival which is held on the 15th January each year. This festival involves lots of kanpai, fireworks and fire – a wonderful highlight of any Nozawa visit.
Other activities include snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing, and the swimming pool has a waterslide and a wave pool.
Why Ski or Snowboard at Nozawa Onsen?
At Nozawa Onsen it’s not just about the skiing or snowboarding. Sure the ski resort provides some delightfully steep tree skiing and plenty of variety, but the main event is the charming village where you can enjoy lots of relaxation and rejuvenation, the traditional architecture, the history, and the fascinating culture.
Some people call Nozawa Onsen the “Kyoto” of Japanese ski resorts because it has such a rich cultural history. There aren’t hundreds of temples in Nozawa Onsen and you won’t see geisha girls wandering down the street dressed in a silk kimono. You’ll only see men wandering down the street in their yukata (informal cotton kimono) on the way to the onsen! Nevertheless Nozawa Onsen undoubtedly provides the best cultural experience of all the Japanese ski resorts.
Nozawa Onsen Transport Listings
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International Rail - JR East Rail Pass
International rail is a specialist rail travel company. Buy JR East Rail Passes online. 5 or 10 consecutive days or 4 days in a 30 day period. Non-Japanese residents only. Must be purchased outside of Japan.
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Accommodation Listings
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Lodge Nagano, Nozawa Onsen
Warm & friendly western lodge located about 10 mins walk to the Gondola and 5 mins walk to the centre of the village. Western & traditional tatami beds. Ideal for singles, couples, families & groups.
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Villa Nozawa, Nozawa Onsen
A traditional Japanese lodge run by westerners located 8 mins from the village centre and 100 metres from the slopes. Choose from tatami rooms or western beds.
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