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Activities & Tours

Nozawa Onsen Activities Thousands of tourists head to Nozawa Onsen in winter and don’t go there to ski or snowboard. This provides a bit of an indication of the extent of off-slope activities in Nozawa Onsen.

Just wandering around the charming cobblestone streets of Nozawa Onsen is an interesting activity in itself. Check out the architecture of the ryokans and browse through the various souvenir shops.

Onsens The focus of tourism in Nozawa Onsen is related to the hot springs, and the town is considered to be one of the best onsen resort towns in Japan. Reap the therapeutic benefits of soaking in the mineral rich waters, which is particularly great if your body is aching from skiing or snowboarding. And unlike some onsen towns where the stench of sulphur is over-powering, thankfully Nozawa Onsen is easy on the nose.

The town has more than 30 natural hot springs. Many of these are located within the ryokans, and some such as Ryokan Sakaya and Sumiyoshiya have delightful outdoor onsens. If you’re not lucky enough to be staying in one of these beautiful Japanese hotels, it is generally possible to pay for the privilege of having an onsen. The Ryokan Jon Nobi (meaning relaxed and comfortable in the local dialect) has a public onsen as well as a couple of private onsens, which is fabulous if you’re a bit shy. One of the private onsens is in the open area whilst the other is in a grotto, a cosy little cave. The onsen fee is 1050 yen per person (2011 rates), or it’s free if you have dinner upstairs in the restaurant.

Nozawa Onsen has 13 sotoyu which are indoor public baths that are free to use. All of the onsens are different with regards to temperature, mineral content and ambience, so try out as many as you can. If you have access to a yukata (an informal cotton kimono), make sure you wear this to strut down the street to the local onsen. This is all part of the culture of Nozawa Onsen!

See our overview of onsen etiquette for tips on what to do when you visit a Japanese onsen.

Oyu, located in the heart of the village, is the most famous of the public baths. This is a reasonably hot onsen and due to its popularity there’s the potential that you’ll be packed in like a sardine.

Diagonally opposite Oyu is one of the infamous foot baths. This is a great place to stop on the way home from skiing to soak the weary feet, particularly if you’ve got a towel in your backpack. The floaty bits in the water are supposed to be onsen flowers, special mineral deposits that indicate the high quality of an onsen, but you wouldn’t be alone if you were a bit suspicious about the origins of the floaties!

The hottest of the onsens is the Ogama Onsen which is approximately 90 degrees Celsius. Obviously this onsen isn’t for humans to cook themselves, but the locals use the hot pools to cook eggs and vegetables. For safety reasons non-villagers have to remain behind a small fence, but this is still a good vantage point to watch the locals in action.

Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival Held annually on the 15th January, the Dosojin Matsuri (Dousoujiin) Festival is an exciting event with fireworks and lots of sake. Dosojin is held to pray for a plentiful harvest, health and good fortune for the year, whilst powderhounds can use it to pray for more snow. The fire festival is also a bit of a manhood test for 25 and 42 year old men (unlucky ages). The 42 year olds have to chant atop a wooden shrine whilst the 25 year olds sit below. The tradition then includes a battle whereby the villagers attack the shrine with burning torches. The fire battle is a great spectacular and the whole festival is lots of fun. Don’t wear flammable clothing, and if you’re a 25 or 42 year old bloke, lie about your age!

Nozawa Onsen Snow Activities The resort offers a few snow activities such as snowcat sightseeing tours, short snowmobile excursions, and 4 hour snowshoeing tours run by the ski school.

Nozawa Ski Tours and Activities Cross country trails are located near the Karasawa slopes. There is a small fee to use the course.

On specific days during the season, the Nozawa Onsen ski school provides a few different backcountry tours. These tend to use a combination of lifts, traversing and a little bit of hiking.

There are also backcountry tours at nearby Madarao Kogen run by Hillman Adventures. They offer half day and full day tours that cater for upper intermediate skiers and boarders and above. From the top of the lift skiers hike about 30 minutes to the top of Mt Madarao. The cost of this tour is ¥6,300 for a half day tour which includes a lift ticket and use of an avalanche beacon, or ¥12,300 for a full day tour. Pick up and drop off from Nozawa Onsen can be arranged.

Whilst you’re over at Madarao Kogen ski resort you may want to check out their zipline adventures.

Leisure Activities Visiting the Jigokudani snow monkeys seems like a compulsory part of any Nagano ski holiday. The Jigokudani Monkey Park has more than 300 monkeys that seek refuge from the cold winters by hanging out in the hot springs of the park. It’s a great place to get some insight into the evolution of human beings! If you’re visiting Hakuba or Shiga Kogen on your holiday, it may be easier to visit the snow monkeys from there, but from Nozawa you could get a bus into Nagano Station and another bus from there. Otherwise check out Chuo Taxi, or sometimes Lodge Nagano does tours there. 

Other leisure activities include exploring the traditional Shinto shrines or otherwise head into the town of Iiyama to see the temples. Alternatively check out the Japan Ski Museum which displays historic skis and exhibits the history of skiing in Japan.

The Nozawa Onsen Arena is a modern facility that is popular with families or big kids at heart. The complex has a large pool that includes a water slide and a wave pool, as well as a solarium and sauna. The entrance fee is 1,500 yen (2011 rates).

Relaxation For some complete pampering there’s a day spa at Ryokan Sakaya. Mirac is open 10am to 9pm and offers a range of beauty and relaxation treatments. As a guide to rates, a 30 minute facial treatment with a massage and collagen mask costs ¥3,500. A whole body oil massage treatment for 60 minutes costs ¥16,500 (2011 rates).