004 Welcome to Nozawa Onsen 009 What’s New? 010 24 Hours in Nozawa Onsen So many things to do in so little time
014 Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival 018 The Town Map 020 Nozawa Connections 022 Meet Naski! Everyone loves Nozawa’s mascot
024 Public Onsen Guide 030 Ski Areas & Lift Maps
Publisher Editor Contributors Photgraphers Advertising Sales Design
Snow Connections Steve Williams Stewart Adamson James Robb Patrick Fux Mikiyo Williams Michael Grove Ashish Bose
Contact Information 1606-4 Hokujo, Hakuba Nagano 399-9301 English Tel: 080-3126-0247 Japanese Tel: 080-3422-9005 Email: sales@japansnowconnections.com Published by Snow Connections
SNOW CONNECTIONS
Nozawa Connect
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N
ozawa Onsen has a rich history that extends back long before anyone took to the slopes to ski. Legend has it that the village was founded by a Buddhist monk in 724 AD. According to that story, the monk discovered the natural hot springs flowing underneath the village. Another legend says that a wounded bear revealed the hot springs to a hunter. Archeological digs have found ruins of dwellings and pottery that point to settlements dating back some 3,000 years. Whatever did happen, the hot springs at Nozawa onsen emerge at ground level, which means they would not have been difficult to locate or to put to use. The “Onsen” in Nozawa Onsen is the Japanese word for natural hot-spring. Communal bathing with total strangers is perhaps the most quintessentially Japanese thing that visitors to Japan can try. The water passes through several rock layers and contains many minerals believed to have special healing powers. The smell alone will tell you that the water is sulphu-
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rous. Most of the thirty or so sources, with the exception of the “Kuma no Te” (Bear’s Paw) bathhouse, range from forty to a scalding ninety degrees Centigrade. Such high temperatures allow the cooking of food, so you can see locals using the water to boil eggs and cook sweet buns called “manju”. The first bathhouse was built for a visiting samurai warlord in the Middle Ages. The construction resulted in a set of rules on how to manage the hot springs that are still in use today. They include the banning of boring for onsen water and using only natural springs, not water that is artificially heated. There are thirteen free public bathhouses at Nozawa Onsen, and we recommend trying all of them. Like a pub crawl, many visitors enjoy an onsen crawl or “hashigo” as it is called in Japanese. The development of Nozawa as an onsen town is directly reflected in the overwhelmingly Japanese frontage of the
buildings lining the narrow walkable streets in the village. Unlike other ski areas in Japan, the existence of a four-season onsen-based tourist trade has counteracted the overwhelmingly European influence of skiing, allowing Nozawa to retain a welcoming and nostalgic Japanese atmosphere. We strongly recommend strolling through the streets in the evenings, past the open fronts of the souvenir shops and the illuminated facades of the ryokan and bathhouses like O-yu. The roads are heated, so you won’t have to trudge through
snow. Skiing was introduced to Nozawa Onsen 101 years ago, making this area the birthplace of skiing in Japan. The ski club was formed in the village in 1923. In 1930, Hannes Schneider arrived from the Austrian alpine village of St. Anton and further developed Nozawa’s ski culture by teaching the Arberg skiing technique. Schneider is still talked about in awe in Nozawa Onsen and has one of the best runs at the resort named after
Nozawa Connect
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him. St. Anton is the sister resort to Nozawa and both villages maintain friendly relations, including year skiing exchanges by local students. You can find out more details in a visit to the Japan Ski Museum in the center of Nozawa itself. The resort is located on Mt. Kenashi, which despite all the trees means “Mt. Hairless” or perhaps “Mt. Bald”. Kenashi rises to an altitude of just 1,650 meters, giving you more oxygen, less UV, and far less chance of altitude sickness than many European resorts. With the abundant hot springs, it should come as no surprise that the mountain is an old volcano. The other non-surprise is that the resort uses exclusively natural snow and does not have snow-making. The first ski lift was erected at Nozawa in 1950 and was strung together by wooden towers. Hikage, the first of the two gondolas was built in 1979. The longer Nagasaka stand-up gondola was added in 1990. Along with the two gondolas, four quads, three triples, and nine pairs service a vast area, with the additional “YuRoad” moving walkway saving your legs en route from the O-yu side of the village to the Hikage gondola. The ski area offers over 1,000 meters of leg-burning vertical with runs to match all levels. If you are on a slope that’s too hard or too easy, just check the course map and try somewhere else. Nozawa Onsen came to international attention as one of the hosts of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. The biathlon (combined cross-country skiing and shooting) events were held in the village. You can see reminders in the large manhole covers decorating the village’s streets. We’ll finish by bringing your attention to the undoubted taste of Nozawa Onsen, Nozawa-na pickles. Nozawa-na is a brassica (cabbage family) leafy vegetable introduced into the region from Kansai. Its leaves and stalks are eaten almost exclusively as pickles in two forms, “asa-zuke”, a lighter, bright green pickle kept in brine and sold pretty much throughout Japan, and “hon-zuke”, the saltier, dull-coloured pickle which keeps far longer and you’ll only authentically find in Nozawa itself. Locals make huge amounts of hon-zuke using the onsen water and you’ll see a pot of complementary pickles on the table at many restaurants and lodges in the village.
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Do give them a try. If you have ever wondered what snowbound people used to eat in the days before supermarkets and trucking and food miles, the answer is right there!
Why Does it snow so much in Nozawa Onsen? It’s a great question, because if you looked at a world map, you would find Nozawa Onsen at about the same latitude as Algeria or Tunisia in North Africa, places known for hot and dry, not cold and snowy. The answer is that a combination of cold weather blows down from the Siberian hinterlands and the Arctic Sea, picks up moisture over the Sea of Japan, and then suddenly hits the mountains in Nagano, resulting in huge snowfall. As the crow flies, Nozawa Onsen is just over 30km from the coast, and is perfectly placed to take advantage of this phenomenon. Nozawa’s neighbour, Sakae-mura, holds the record for the deepest snow in any inhabited part of Japan. The snow depth there hit an incredible 7.85m on February 12, 1945. That was measured right by the train station!
DON’T MISS DECEMBER 31st New Year’s Countdown
Head to the Hikage slopes for an evening of night skiing until 11:30pm. Then get ready for the countdown to 2014. Fireworks will bring in the New Year.
JANUARY 6th & MARCH 24th Smile Winter Festival
Give thanks to winter with Japanese “taiko” drummers, free sake and a paper, scissors, rock competition. Located in the onsen area of O-yu Street.
JANUARY 15th Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival
This is one of the biggest fire festivals held in Japan. Watch the 25 and 42 year old village members do battle before the sacred pavilion.
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Wake up after a good night’s sleep at one of the many accommodations throughout the village. Many locals have an onsen before breakfast are you game? Follow this up with a hearty breakfast while checking out the piste map (page 31) to plan your attack on the slopes of Nozawa.
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To get first tracks be ready at 8.30am to take the first lifts. You have two choices to get high on the Nozawa mountains. Either take the Nagasaka or the Hikage gondola. After a chairlift or two, find yourself at the top of Mt. Kenashi. From here the powder courses of Yamabiko are yours to enjoy. With a height of 1650m the snow is more than often light and dry with some of the best powder that Japan has to offer! The trees are evenly spaced to give those new to tree skiing an easy introduction..
Time for a break, you’ve probably earned it! There is no better place to stop for a coffee than Sasa Nozawa, treat yourself to a muffin at the same time!
Who is Schneider you may ask. Hannes Schneider came to Nozawa in 1930 from Nozawa’s sister village St. Anton in Austria. He is revered in Nozawa Onsen, being the skimeister who introduced modern skiing to Japan. The Scheider Course, depending on conditions, is one of the hardest to tackle in Nozawa.
Instead of the fondue you’ll find in Europe, the stable food of skiing in Japan is Katsu curry. This pork cutlet generously served with rich curry sauce is available in most of the mountain restaurants. Our favorite is Buna Restaurant on Paradise Course.
A more sedate activity, the 16 seater snowcat tour lasts 45 minutes and takes you into pristine untouched snowfields. Watch out for wildlife, including Kamoshika, a Japanese serow. The ride is only 500yen and includes a soft drink. Book it at the Nozawa Onsen Tourism Office.
One of the longest runs at Nozawa extending from the Yamabiko area following the ridge all the way to the bottom of the resort is a favorite of many for the last run of the day. The 3.5km course can be linked to a few more to make nearly 6km of piste! We dare you to try it, as a thigh burning non-stop run.
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After all the exhilarations of the day, it’s time to give your body a well deserved rest. Book a massage at either Nozawa Physio (0269-851102) or Mirac at Ryokan Sakaya (0269-85-3118) followed by an onsen. You can try onsen crawl, like a pub crawl but visiting all the free onsens.
Enjoy the atmosphere of Après ski at on the many Nozawa bars. Raise a glass to the day’s adventure and plan tomorrow’s. Instead of beer try chu-hai a shochu vodka style cocktail.
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With more places to suit most budgets Nozawa’s restaurants are very popular in the evenings. Book well in advance for large groups. A lot of local restaurants rely on seasonal business and last minute cancellations are very damaging, if you do need to cancel, make it as soon as you know.
There is no place like Japan to sing karaoke. A few of bars in Nozawa have karaoke booths to blast out your version of “Piano Man”. Do you know karaoke means “empty orchestra”?
Just before bed, take a quick onsen. The natural minerals will give you a great night’s sleep. Be like a local and put your small hand towel on your head!
NaganoSnow Shuttle The stress free way to get home
21 Dec 2017 - 11 Mar 2018 (Full operations 26 Dec 2017 to 25 Feb 2018)
Resort Shuttle from Nozawa Onsen
Airport Shuttle from Nozawa Onsen Nozawa Onsen - Chuo Terminal *10:30 A M Bus
Arr
8:00
10:30
13:00
15:30
FARE ¥
*10:30 A M Bus
Arrival Times
21 DEC 2017 - 11 M A R 2018
Nozawa Onsen - Chuo Terminal
Nagano
9:00
11:30
14:00
16:30
Arr
Tokyo - JR Shinjuku Station
12:30
15:30
18:00
20:30
Arr
Narita Airport Terminal 2
14:00
16:45
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22:00
Arr
Haneda Airport Int. Terminal
-
-
18:45
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Adult 11.000 Child 10.000
8:00
10:30
13:00
15:30
FARE ¥
Arrival Times
21 DEC 2017 - 11 M A R 2018
Arr
Nagano
9:00
11:30
14:00
16:30
Adult / Child
Arr
Hakuba - Hakuba Base Camp
10:00
12:30
15:00
17:30
5.900 / 4.900
Arr
Madarao Kogen Hotel
12:30
15:00
17:30
5.900 / 4.900
Arr
Madarao Kogen Tangram
12:40
15:10
17:40
5.900 / 4.900
Arr
Myoko Kogen Akakura Bus Stop
13:00
15:30
18:00
5.900 / 4.900
Arr
Shiga Kogen - Accommodation
10:00
12:45* 15:30* 18:00*
6.600* / 5.600*
*Drop off at accommodation included for ShigaKogen Only. Drop off time may vary by up to one hour depending on location of hotel
No hauling your luggage through crowded stations English Speaking Staff at airports Drop off service in Shiga Kogen and Hakuba + all night time arrivals Accommodation is informed of your arrival on the ski resort Dedicated Bus terminal in Hakuba
Safe / Comfortable / Affordable
Book online at
NaganoSnowShuttle.com Operated by JHN Travel Ltd(Lisc 2-476)
Hakuba ・ Nozawa Onsen ・ Shiga Kogen ・ Myoko Kogen ・ Madarao Kogen ・ Shinjuku ・ Narita ・ Haneda
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n Japan, men aged 25 or 42 are believed to be vulnerable to bad luck and every year on January 15th the village’s 25 year old literally beat off baying locals trying to set fire to a 3 story pavilion with the village’s 42 year olds on top. Sounds like bad luck alright! After summer has slipped away and the village seems relatively peaceful without the hordes of tourists. The locals who will be 25 on January 15 start the long process of venturing into the local forests to collect firewood for the coming winter season’s Fire Festival or Dosojin as it is called in Japanese. Not just any old wood can be used, the trees selected need to be a certain diameter and over 18 meters in height. Before the trees are logged the villagers head down into the forests and pray for the mountain gods for protection and safety against any mis-happenings. Sake, white rice are offered on the “altar” while the 25 year olds all pray together for self purification rites. The first Nozawa Onsen fire festival began in 1863 as a means of praying for a plentiful harvest, health and good luck in the coming year. It is one of the three grandest fire festivals in Japan and the only of the three to be held in deep mid winter. Sometimes this can cause a problem when heavy snow falls during the days preceding and on the day itself can render the firewood wet and very difficult to be lit. Two days before the festival gets underway the 25 and 42 year olds are called for again to drag the now “sacred” logs down through the village from Hiakge Ski area to the fire festival site. Japanese sake is offered by the local villagers along the route to the workers as well as passers by. In fact Japanese sake is used a lot in the fire festival for mainly two reasons one being the purification of the tress as well as getting drunk. They both sound great!
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When all the logs are at the festival site the construction begins. This commences on the morning of the 14th and continued sometimes through the night and finished on the morning of the 15th. Due to the dangerous work, during construction the builders must refrain from drinking any alcohol – a good reason to give their liver a rest. A pavilion is made about seven meters high with the trees protruding about another ten meters or so. The pavilion needs to be sturdy as this will hold the 42 year olds. On the day of the festival the flame is lit by the Kono family at Terayu Onsen and then brought down to the festival site. The battles start at 8.30 with the torch bearers attacking the pavilion. The 25 year olds have to fight off these and defend the lower part. The fighting is intense and dangerous for all those involved. But in the end inevitably the torch bearers win and the whole pavilion goes up in flames. We hope you can enjoy the fire festival while you are in Nozawa. If you missed it not too worry it will be on again next year!
Nozawa Connect
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Nozawa Connect
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Uenotaira Cross Country Training Courses
The location for viewing sunset
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Torogi Pass
Utopia
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Uchida Shokubo ONE DAY/Rental & Espresso Haus St.Anton◆ Sun Yamaki Shirakaba Rental◆ ´ Cafe & Rest Olive Kazumi
Kashimir House● Lodge Denbey● Swallow Rental Denbey Shop◆ Lodge Hahnenkamm●
Green House Marutomi
Isemiya Park
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Restaurant SCHNEE
Pa ir yu Sh in
Road-Closed （Winter）
● Asaya
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● Azegamikan
● Resort House Kogen
(Closed in Winter)
Masutaya
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●Tokiwaya Ryokan 1F LIBUSHI B1 Toyo Ramen B1 Tsukushinbo ●Tomitaya
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Gasthof Kazumi●
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●Mikawaya
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● Nozawa View Hotel Shimataya
Kagoya●
KAMITERA-YU
Tomiki●
Atarashiya (Eel&Chicken)
WC
Gasthof Schi-Heil ● Mokuba
Jin
Nakajimaya Ryokan● Yakushido Hall 卍 Kumanote Lodge ●
Nozawa Grand Hotel●
La Foret Yamane● ● Kajiya
Ryokan Association
● Kawamotoya
∴
○
Nozawa Kanko Taxi
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Neighbourhood Yokochi meeting hall
●Fujiyoshi
○Nozawa no Insatsuya (Printer)
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○Takei Doken (Civil engineering&Architects)
Parking
Okuraya Building Materials ○
Ski / Snowboard Rental Shop Local Businesses &Shops/Others
Cafe
and ∴ Scenic Histric Sites
Clinic
Bar/Drinking Establishment
卍 Temple
Post Office
Postbox
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Gas Station
WC Public Lavatory
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Chuo (Central) Terminal
TAXI
KUMANOTEARA-YU
◆
Hot-spring Facility
Nozawa Connect
f f (Eating ho
○Harada(Clothing)
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Noz (Nu
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○ Information Center Ski Center/Others
Monument
Restaurant
Phone Booth
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Ge Lan
Yakiniku Banri(BBQ)
BUS
Dosojin Fire Festival Venue （Babano-Hara）
Terayu Neighbourhood meeting hall
●Terayu
Cherry House (Catering)○
Legend
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●Ikedaya
YOKOCHI NO-YU
Inari Shrine
Souvenir Shop
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Kanamori(Utensils Kanekin (Futon shop WC ●Ikemoto Ikemitsu ● Bokuchi Soba Kagoya ●●Nozawa Onsen YOKOCHI (Eating Sei Sen So (only avail in winter for NAGADEN Bus) ●Hachiemon The Schneider Square IXSM TRAVEL ○ Babaso● L'atelier KURA（ATM） Kubota ●Shinsei 550 ○ Photo Stud Shichirohei Abe Clinic WC Zosan Coffee Dosojin Nozawa onsen Totorina Park Jiyu Gekijo ● Higashi ○ ● Dosojin Shrine Tourist Information Center Shirakaba Pension Megeve Draper's ○JA (Tourism Association) Nagomi● ●Tsukaharaso JA Hall Ikebun● Koban(Police Station) (ATM but not accept ●Ikesho Toraya● issued in foreign co Marutoya● ●Kawatake ●We Hamaya● Nakamura Joiner○ Washhouse Resort Pension Kasumi● ●Take Akebitei(Okonomiyaki) Nozawa-Onsen TAXI Kotsu(Taxi&Bus)
★Dotted line is only for pedestrians. ★The contour line shows approximate elevation. ★Opening season of some facility is limited. Please inquire for detail.
Public Bathhouse; Soto-yu
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JUODO NO-YU Imadeya
○
〕 〔
SHIN-YU●
1F Shohei Soba duex Sumo-Nabe B1 Heaven
2F Wagyutei B1 Stay
Jisaku Miyagawa ● Wanryu Hanten 2・3F Pension Uoyasu ● (Chinese) 1F Uoyasu(Fish&Grocery) ○ Asagama Neighbourhood meeting hall Asahiya Ryokan ● BUS ●NOZAWA Hamacho Sushi Kinbee● ○ ONSEN Kiyomiya Shop Dosojin (closed in winter) ●Sakakiya Kawatatsu Sankyu Kogei Exiev Rental Ski◆ (Vine Works&Crafts) B1 Tanpopo
○Taishoen 〔 〕 Nozawa Liquor Shop ● ○Yunohana Kotsu (Bus) Kawaichiya Ryokan ●Hatoguruma Kawabata
BUS
● Chochin-ya
∴ Acala
1F Kanamori Sports○◆ B1 Shinko-Q
●Sanjugariso
Hyakuban Shop
Public facility
●Tomiichiy ● Kihachika ●Sports House ○Tomii Ski Sch
St
● Kagoshimaso
Daimaruya Ryokan●
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Repose House Uenokan●
●Bam Sas
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●Marutomi
Kono Clockshop○
Accommodation
● Shinanoso
●S K ●To
MATSUBA NO-YU
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The Corner STEAK HOUSE
Carte
ASAGAMA NO-YU
Shin-yu Neighbourhood meeting hall
Foot bathing facility
Gonnimuso●
As
Yu za wa Riv er
Neighbourhood meeting hall
KAWAHARA-YU
SHIN-YU
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●Zenzaburo
O-YU
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Ikariya●
Mountainside Otake●
Shinkine (Onsen sweets) Ryokan Sakaya ● ●Chitosekan Yamatoya Ryokan●
FOOTBATH
Barber ○ Sugiyama
Odisanso●
Yoshimi(Soba)
●Resort Inn Chiharu
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Yuzanso●
Sasaya● Yamakotei(Gyoza) ●Yonetaro S ○Catering Bento Yonetaro tr Tanuki Lodge ● Utopia● Lodge Ueno Ski● Kiriya Ryokan● Fukiya Tanuki Asian Dining/Café e Minato ◆ Ueno Ski e Motoya● Tanuki Bar ●Seifukan Mr. TAKANO Tatsuyuki t St.Anton ●Lodge Matsuya WC Obo Nozawaya● ○ Jibasan○ ●Gentaroya Jam Factory Hotel Haus (Ha ●Tomihan Nozawado ●Address Nozawa 2F Kaze no Ie St.Anton Yamadaya Ryokan Café N (Newspaper) Tomiya(Liquor)○ GENKI BURGER ● ● 1F Kono Pharmacy ○ ●Matsubaya Fukiya Masuya Nanohana YOU(Bread) Naraya Ryokan● Kuan ●Nakamuraya Ryokan Nanjamonja (Corza flower Sawataya ● Hatoguruma Hibiki(BBQ) Sobadokoro Daimon Nozawa-gumi Naritaya(Sundries) Sijukara Sodai office Nozawana Honpo(Pickles) Shosendo Kubotaya ○ ●Wakagiri(Inn,Sushi&Eating house) ● (Sweets) (Liquor&Covenience Store)○ ○Marumiya Shop 1F Julian ○ Tomiken Ch ●Fubuki Foot (Stationery) an Billiken B２ Emu ○Nijimasu(Catering) Masuya Ryokan● Suehiroya Ryokan● (Eating house) ○ Naganoya ○ ∴ ○Ikeda Mitsuno Liquor Shop Enma(Yama)-do H Sankuro Pharmacy Electric ●Yoshiya
〕 〔 Tsutsujiyama Park
●Pure Nagasaka
Sooyu ●Miyasakaya
Himecho
FOOTBATH YURARI
Sumiyosiya●
Ryugen ● Isamu●
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NEW
●Ikariya(Annex) ●Wafu Pension Miyazawa ●Yamaya Sanso Toyo ●Miyanowaki Manpuku(Ramen) ●Takeei Komats ●Suzumori Nozawaonsen Hotel● Ganza ○ ●Tofuya ● Sakai Tomii Tofu Shop Mr.KONO Yasunobu
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Asagama Hot Springs Park FURUSATO NO-YU
Hyakuban Kannon-do Hall A hundred of Stone Buddha statues in Saigoku, Bando, WC and Chichibu Cemetery Park Kompira Shrine
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Restaurant Ohtaki Yama no Hotel Ohtaki ●
Nozawa Country Hotel ●
Onsen Yakushi-do Hall Nozawana(Colza) 卍 Nozawa Clinic
Minato
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Trip
●Yamaboshi
Koganeya Onsen Ryokan Jon Nobi ● Akebiya Restaurant&Bar Himatsuri(Cuisine)
WC
Road-Cl
Cemetery of 0 Mr.TAKANO Tatsuyuki 60
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OGAMA
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Kenmei-ji Temple卍 卍 Senbutsu-do Hall Akebi vine Craftworker Yuzawa Shrine ●Resort inn Chitose Great Sugi of Yuzawa Shrine ●Soyu
Yakushido Hall
The Nozawa onsen Song Ontake Shrine
age
Triple
Kamoshika●
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TAKI NO-YU
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ZIP SKY-RIDE
Hikage Station
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Yudonosan
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JAPAN SKI MUSEUM
Hik
Nozawa Onsen Ski School Hikage Ski Center Day Nursery
●Pension Tannenhof Mitsui Shokudo
Pension SCHNEE ●
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(Opened in summer)
PARADISE SLOPE Uenotaira Station
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HIKAGE INFORMATION CENTER
The Schneider Hotel● ´
Hakugin
Uentaira Sanso(Inn&Eating House)
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Lake Sutaka Camping area
Panorama House Buna Tarogoya
air Utopia P
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Cottage area
Challenge Pair
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Fukushi Center (Welfare Center)
Signal TAXI
Taxi
BUS
Bus Stop
Public Hall Publuc Gym
Ikoi no Hiroba (Square of Rest and Relaxation)
VILLAGE OFFICE
Fire House
● Nozawa Onsen Liner ● NAGADEN Bus Nozawa line
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for R117（Togari Nozawa Onsen Station）
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TOWN GUI DE MAP
UENOTAIRA SLOPE taira
Quad
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SKI AREA MANAGEMENT OFFICE Nagasaka Ski Center
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2F Café STEP
Kogetsu●
Rest House Gentaro
Road-Closed（Winter）
Yasuragi● osato Tamayura● Shizuka suya Yamazakiya Kamata ● ● a Lodge Mutsumi ● ● Monomi Jouer ●● ● Seizan ● Sasakyu ● ●Koji Maruken Sanso Sunshine ●Lodge Kyohei Yukiyama omohachi ●
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Matsumura Architectural design ○
P-1 Parking 0 Nagasaka Shuttle Bus Terminal
●New Hoshiba BUS ●●MAEZAKA Miyazaki Shop ○ (Installation) Gerenal Nozawa Obatake● ○ onsen Gas Station Nozawa Rental Car
Nagaya Electric○
Maezaka Public Hall
○Yunohana Kotsu
Katagiri Shop (Professional use food)○
for IIYAMA City TOYOTA・IIYMA IC NAGANO City
Nozawa onsen Jumping Hills (Normal Hill, Medium Hill, Small Hill)
Elizabeth●
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Yanagiya ○ Dry Cleaning
Akataki Shrine
→
●Hannimu
○Miyazaki Shop (Installation)
Fire Watchtower
●Schanze Nozawa
Akiha Neighbourhood meeting hall
NEO BAR
●Morgenrot Yamazaki
BUS
Densei●
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●Hokuryuko entrance
for Lake Hokuryuko
Atarashiya WC ●
AKIHA NO-YU
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NOZAWA ONSEN SPArena
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Hachiman Shrine
BUS
●●SHINDEN
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Fire Station P
WC
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Miyuki Shop
Mr.IKEDA Zen-emon, master of Akebi vine ∴ Yudonosan craft works
●Umenoya ●Ichikawaso ●Akebiso
● Kawatatsu
Miyuki Shop(Sweets)
Uemasa ● ●○Ueno Plasterer (Ground Floor) Akebiya ● Mominoki Shinden Terminal Coin Laundry Fuwara ○ (Laundrette) (Underground) ○ Fukudaya Food Factory Vine craft studio Ueno shop Shinden Parking Deck ○Yamazaki Ironworks ●House Mokurin
NAKAO NO-YU
Tomii Dental Clinic
Sanko Construction ○
○Takeei Architects
●Yura
2F Bar Rotus Root 1F Ren ◆ Pension Sato ● Uchihan●
Driving Ranges Minambara Grounds
NAKAO●●
zawa Kodomoen ursery School)
Kobayashi Cotton Shop○ Green Peas(Western) ○Kanai Automotive Shop
●Forest no Mori ●Altitude Nozawa
Azegami-gumi (Construction) ○
Nozawa Car Mechanic Matsumura Tax ○ Dosojin Counseller Office ○ Sasakyu(Architects)○
Hayagriva
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Yunosatoichi farmers' shop (closed in winter)
JA○
ENEOS JA-SS Fresh Store Rainbow (Perishables)○ Nozawa Auto○
Nozawa onsen Nakao Tourist Information Center ●Chalet Nozawa
○WC
P Nakao Parking
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●Villa Kubota
See the detail view form here.
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Omiyagedokoro Misato
○ COMPASS HOUSE (Ski&Bike gear)
Nozawa Sogo (Construction)○
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Fire Station ● Villa South Fuji Akataki Hotel Shimizu River P-3 Parking P ● ●Yamasanso Uchifumiso● ○ Big Sports Rental ◆ (Minambara） Kadowaki Electric ●La Foret Tsukushinbo Shimizu branch ● ● Kadowakikan Marunaka Lodge● Chibikko Sports Hiroba Kanekaso BUS Shinazawa● Genbeso● (Kids Sports Park) Meat Shop Washino○
Nozawa Junior High School
P-2 Parking (Karasawa)
● Resort House NOZAWA Sports Furusato ◆Thanx Karasawa branch Nakao Neighbourhood meeting hall ●Apre Maison Tennis Nishikata Courts ●Karasawaso ●Berg Marukaneya ● Pearl Berghutte Miyamori Yoshigoe ● Road-Closed ●Satsukiso
Enma(Yama)-do Hall ∴
○Takatsu Electric
Nozawa Primary School
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Minambara Cross-Country Courses
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Nonoka(Deli) ○ Apple Inn Aigakuso● ●Takasaka Chohachiso ● Tonkichi(Okonomiyaki) ●Alpine Villa ● Nozawa Village Miyakin
●Resort Inn Abe
Olympic Sports Park
Koguma no Ie ● Hachiman ● Sawa Spring Water∴ bird-house Shimaki● ●Sansui Road-Closed（Winter） Mountside● Nishinami ●Marukyu Karasawa ● Ski Center Pension Famile WC Yamane Kirakuso●
Welcome Brick ● Uchidaya
○Sakuraya Sheet Metal
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Shinden Neighbourhood meeting hall ●Itsurakuso
Yukariso ● Koshinto
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Shantel ●Ichiryu ● Masazo● Osawaso P Nozawa Dream chi Familie Moriki ● ● ● Post Office（ATM） Uenoyama● Tamagoya Mori ●Yamatatsu ● Nagumo Mitsubachi Maya enroku● ● ● ●Espoir Ebisu ○Seishin(Garbage collection) ndhaus Azegami Maple House ● Sobadokoro Suzuki Matsumura ● ●Nozawa Central ●Takagiya ouse)
s)○ Care House Orauchi○ ● Kojima● Sunrise Meijiya n ○Chiyoda Liquor Shop ●Hannojo p)○ u ●Hot Inn Togoro house) DINING BAR Nishinomiya HAKUNA MATATA ● Shrine Peanuts House dio ○Sato Vegetable Kumakuma
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Lodge Nagano ● International Conferece Hall
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Resort Inn Toemu ●○(Inn&Sushi delivary)
Origination of Skiing at Nozawa Onsen
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KARASAWA SLOPE
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NAGASAKA SLOPE
Akataki River
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YUNOMINE SLOPE
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Rokken Spring
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Nozawa onsen Nakao
○Tourist Information Center
YAMABIKO SLOPE
Rest House Yamabiko
Yamabiko Skyline Conn Station
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Yunosatoichi farmers' shop (closed in winter)
Fresh Store Rainbow (Perishables)○ Nozawa Auto○
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→ 502 （for Shigakogen・Akiyamago）
Yamabiko Ski Center
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1F NOZAWA Sports ◆ Yutaka ● Thanx Nagasaka branch
▲ Mt.Kenashi
Yamabiko 2nd Quad
Salomon Station Nozawa Onsen ◆ Shop Antelope ir losed（Winter） Ski tune-up shop GLATT○ e Pa omin Yun he Craft Room Yunomine
Nagasaka Station
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Kawahiro Mt ‘Dock Kawahiro Sports ◆ ● Kawahiro
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Nozawa Connect
NOZAWA HOLIDAYS.com A RANGE OF LODGES, TRADITIONAL PENSIONS, SELF CONTAINED HOUSES AND APARTMENTS We can help with anything you need for a great experience in Nozawa ESTABLISHED • NOZAWA CENTRAL RENTALS OVER 25 YEARS Experienced English Speaking staff IN NOZAWA! • Mountain Resort Guides • Tours to the famous Snow Monkeys • Photo service to catch you deep in the powder • Soothing Massage at Nozawa Central for aches and pains • Accommodation for your next stay in Nozawa Onsen
Visit our English/Japanese Speaking offices - Open from 8am to 7pm at 3 great venues: Lodge Nagano | Villa Nozawa | Nozawa Central
Need a Real Coffee Fix? Gondola Café has the best coffee in town! Located in the Mt Dock shop just below the main Nagasaka Gondola.
Call us on 0269 670 467 or 050 5532 6026
Join us on Facebook and Instagram for daily reports and photos for Nozawa
https://www.facebook.com /nozawaonsenjapan https://www.instagram.com/nozawaonsenjapan/
Nozawa Connect
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J
apanese people love kitsch. Whether it’s frilly maids in Akihabara, grown women spending all of their holidays at Tokyo Disneyland, Pokemon or Hello Kitty painted fifteen feet high on the body of an airliner, … nothing can be too “kawaii” or cute. Such concept just does not exist. A new form of kawaii has developed in recent years in the shape of “Yuru Kyara”, literally “loose characters”. Yuru Kyara are mascot characters who promote businesses, local areas, or regional produce. Their “looseness” lies in the quirkiness that comes from the things they are trying to promote, which can be anything from towns to leeks to towels, and in their naivety and amateurishness compared to professional creations like Mickey Mouse and Miffy. The boom in
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mascot characters has been led by regional ommunities whose Yura Kyara often incorporate the area’s special product, culture, or history. The only rule is that the cuter, the better! Such mascots try to build a brand that a town can market through souvenirs like stationery, toys, and boxes of cookies. Life-size mascots also make appearances at events and festivals. Some of the more famous characters have become household names, rivaling Japanese television and sport stars in popularity. There are an estimated 1,000 mascots throughout Japan and a competition called the “Yuru Kyara Grand Prix” is held annually to select the most popular. King of the Yuru Kyara is Kumamon, a black bear with a stunned smile who represents the Kyushu town of Kumamoto. Despite being a cartoon,
Kumamon is active on social media and has nearly 300,000 followers on Twitter. He has also made overseas trips promoting tourism to Japan. Not to be out-done, here in Nozawa Onsen have their own character Naski. Naski’s name combines the words of “nozawana” the famous pickled vegetable that is grown throughout the village and the word “ski” which of course is another thing that Nozawa is also famous for. Naski was born in the summer of 1993 and is an avid skier and snowboarder. His favorite food is onsen manju, and he loves to take an onsen in the evenings. Naski also enjoys tweeting (in Japanese) on twitter at @nozawanaski. Naski can be found on the weekends at Hikage base during the peak winter months.
Nozawa Connect
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O-yu Bathhouse
Matsuba-no-yu Bathhouse
Kawahara-yu Bathhouse
Akiha-no-yu Bathh
Located in the center of the town, the O-yu bathhouse—the symbol of Nozawa-onsen—is the largest and grandest bathhouse building among the Soto-yu. This is a must-try bathhouse for visitors to Nozawa-onsen.
While the foundation of the building is stone, the bathroom inside is in the style of a temple, with a nice atmosphere.
Though small, this bathhouse has a typical bathhouse style building with a traditional atmosphere. The water here is said to be good for skin diseases. The water is very hot.
This bathhouse is locate away short distance fro center of the Onsen di The floor of the bathtub and the slightly milky ho here is constantly replac flows from the sprin
Nozawa Connect
house
Nakao-no-yu Bathhouse
ed a bit om the istrict. b is tiled, ot water ced as it ng.
This massive bathhouse is the largest of Nozawa-onsen’s Soto-yu. The communal bathhouse is in a building constructed in a temple style.
Yokochi-no-yu Bathhouse
Shinden-no-yu Bathhouse
This bathhouse is located in the basement of a building below the Yokochi traffic lights, and the stone wall of the building serves as a landmark. The water at this bathhouse is especially good for skin diseases.
While the water you can see flowing from the mouth of the lion appears clear and colorless, the water in the bathtub is slightly milky.
Taki-no-yu Bathhouse
Kamitera-yu Bathhouse
With its traditional style building, this public bathhouse has a relaxing atmosphere. The water at this bathhouse is good for those recovering from serious illnesses.
It is said that hot water at this bathhouse is especially good for cuts, burns, and boils. The water here has a slightly greenish transparent hue.
Shin-yu Bathhouse
Asagama-no-yu Bathhouse
This public bathhouse is located near the entrance to Tsutsujiyama Park, at the north end of town. People say that the water here is good for diseases cured by warming.
There is a communal laundry behind this bathhouse building. This Soto-yu is much loved by locals.
Juodo-no-yu Bathhouse
Kumanotearayu Bathhouse
This Soto-yu is a somewhat modern western style building. The first floor is for women and the second floor is for men.
An old bathhouse said to have been discovered by a bear. It is said that Nozawa-onsen originated in this place, which according to legend was shown to a hunter by an injured bear.
Nozawa Connect
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• Womens Clinics • Rider Development
FAST FACTS
30%
BEGINNER
40%
INTERMEDIATE
30%
ADVANCED COURSES
36
LIFTS
21
LONGEST
10,000m
ELEVATION
1,085m
NIGHT SKIING
Yes
Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort is often called the birthplace of skiing in Japan with a history stretching back 101 years this winter season. It has a total of 21 lifts and over 40km of trails. Nozawa offers skiers and riders a leg burning thousand meters plus of top to bottom skiing with some fantastic view over the Nagano plain. Orientation The resort has three base areas that are located above the village. Kurasawa This is mainly used by for car access and is the closest base to the entry of the village. There are some easy gentle runs that you can take to get to one of the gondolas. Nagasaka This is home to the longer of the two gondolas. The cabins fit 12 persons and will get you to Yamabiko area in about
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15-20 minutes including turning 90 degrees half way up! Hikage Getting to the Hikage from the main accommodation areas is a great experience. The Yu-Road, which is a long uphill conveyor belt takes you to the Hikage base area. Here you will find, ski school, tourist information, restaurants and most importantly the Hikage Gondola. The gondolas rise to both Paradise and Yamabiko slopes and these could be classed as mid-mountain. There are a host of restaurants in here. From Yamabiko, which means Echo Mountain, you can take a couple of lifts to the top of Nozawa Onsen. Mt. Kenashi or as we like to call it Mt. Bald, at 1650m, is home to a radio tower that is sometimes so frozen over it looks like it should be located at the South Pole as an Antarctic weather station! From the top there are
few courses that require you to be an intermediate or higher skier or rider. BEGINNERS There are some great long runs for beginners who have mastered the art of linking turns together. Head up either Hikage or Nagasaka gondolas to Yamabiko. From here it is a long cruising 8km course back down along Paradise and Rinkan forest course. As a rule, this kind of cat track is more suited to skiers than snowboarders. For those wanting ski school, the office is located in Hikage Information Center. INTERMEDIATES An intermediate favorite is Skyline, which is located on the right side of the resort as you look up. The course is well groomed, but can be narrow in places with bumps usually forming in the afternoon. Take the left course at the bottom of Skyline
to Karasawa from there you can ride the Nagasaka Gondola –Link Chair which as you can guess gives you the height to get back to Nagasaka Gondola.
snowfall. For real “double black” skiing turn right at the bottom of Skyline onto Grandprix for 800m of white knuckle riding.
ADVANCED Try your hand at the Schneider course named after the famed Hannes Schneider who developed the Arlberg style of skiing that was used from the early days until carving skis made the style obsolete in the 1990s. Be careful though as the course gets full of big moguls after a few days without snow. Another challenge is the aptly named Challenge Course just below Paradise Slope. It is the steepest course at Nozawa Onsen with a maximum gradient of 39 degree! Because of this gradient it is a dedicated FIS registered racing course and therefore very popular with carvers. Again it can get chopped up quickly, so get there early.
KIDS For kids, there is a day care nursery that can be found on the second floor at Hikage information center. It is called Yumin Nursery and is available for little ones from ages one to six. A full day is 4000 yen and half day will set you back 2500 yen or you could drop the kids off for just an hour, 1000 yen, as you hit the powder. There is a limit to 20 kids.I n front of Hikage base is a fun kids park with bouncing castle, tubing, and sledding. If you are lucky Naski the green character might make an appearance. Naski is a pickled vegetable found in Nozawa. If by chance you are at Nagasaka and need to get the little ones up to Hikage, don’t worry, there is a special snow mobile lift that the kids will love.
POWDER HOUNDS First come, first served is the motto. The area at the top of the mountain can sometimes get over one meter of fresh snow overnight. When it is this deep, do not venture off the trail. Below the right hand turn on the Nagasaka Gondola is Kurokura, this is steep and deep after a
Non-skiers can join a snowshoe tour at the resort and slip away and take in the wonderful views from the quiet of the forest. You might be able to see a kamoshika, a kind of Japanese mountain goat. Book at the ski school or at the village visitor information center.
Night Skiing Nozawa Onsen offers night skiing on Saturday evenings and peak times including, New Year and national holidays. The temperature does drop once it gets dark, so wrap up well. The restaurants stay open, so you could always pop inside for a hot chocolate.
※We have no responsibility for customers who enter no named course in this map. Please do not go-out from the management area.
Lift ticket pr
Piste Restaurants area/store neme
tel（0269）
YAMABIKO Area
NO GROOMED AREA
1 Danke 2 Rest House Yamabiko
SKI AREA MAP
PROHIBITED AREA
OUTSIDE THE SNOW RESORT
NIGHT SKI COURSE
STRICTLY OFF LIMITS
SELF RESPONSIBILITY AREA
3 Servus
UENOTAIRA Area
ZIP SKY RIDE
4 Uenotaira Lodge
PARADISE Area
2018
5 Hakugin
※Operation starts from：Lift c ※Half day ticket：Morning tick ※1.5 day pass; an afternoon ( 1 is NOT included. ※The child ticket is lower than can identify age. ※One pre-school child is free w ※A down gondola is free. ※Night skiing is from after bus ※Concession for physically han ※The business date and hour m
6 Panorama House Buna 7 Tarogoya 9 Uenotaira Sanso(inn&Eating House)
Keep having Fun
10 Utopia
ISEMIYA Area
NEW
Type of t
1 day 1.5 day 2 day 3 day Half day 1 time lift tick Night skiing (N Nagasaka Go Hikage Gond Season Pass
12 Kashimir House
COURSE
13 Lodge Denbey 14 Lodge Hahnenkamm 15 Restaurant SCHNEE 16 Mitsui Shokudo
HIKAGE Area 17 Green House Marutomi 18 Uchida Shokudo 19 ONE DAY 20 Sun Yamaki 21 MOS BURGER 22 Cafe&Rest Olive 23 Kazumi
NAGASAKA Area 24 Restaurant Ohtaki 25 Kawahiro 26 Cafe STEP 27 Country Papa 28 Rest House Gentaro 29 Mutsumi Jouet 30 NOZAWA ONSEN SPArena Shantel
KARASAWA Area 31 Karasawa Shokudo
NEW
67-0633
KANDAHAR (homologated courses by FIS)
KARASAWA PAIR
NOZAWA ONSEN SNOW RESORT Shimotokai-gun, 7653 Toyosato, Nozawaonsen-mura, Shimotakai-gun, Nagano, 389-2502, JAPAN
Tel 0269-85-3166 Fax 0269-85-2201 http:// www.nozawaski.com/
SKI & SNOW
This price is apply fo
●GROUP LESSO
Info Hikage Ski Center (lost&found, trouble) Tel.0269-85-2133 Patrol Office (injured) Tel.0269-85-3456 Nozawa Onsen Ski School Tel.0269-85-2623 Accommodation info
Nozawaonsen Tourism Association Tel.0269-85-3155 Nozawaonsen Ryokan Association Tel.0269-85-2056
Group lessons are fun for children (7-14) and adults Participants are grouped t other guests of the same towards improving their te
Snowshoes
You can use any sledding gear except for the above pictograms only sledding area. ※You are not allowed to get on any liftchair with ski gear except the above pictograms.
Full Day AM PM
Price/Per Pers
13,000y
9,000y
Please assemble at Hika The price includes the le
Nozawa Connect
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Situated literally right on the border between Nagano and Niigata and being about equal distance from Nozawa and Myoko Kogen, Madarao Mountain Resort is perfectly placed for the storms that sweep across the Sea of Japan and dump the white gold on the mountains. No wonder it is nicknamed MadPow! Madarao is home to 13 tree run courses that have been thinned to produce open
FAST FACTS
30%
BEGINNER
30%
INTERMEDIATE
40%
ADVANCED COURSES
31
LIFTS
13
LONGEST
2500m
ELEVATION
440m
NIGHT SKIING
Yes
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spaced tree runs where you can let rip without coming too close to vegetation. These gladed runs that unashamedly go by names like “Powder Wave”, “Powder Theater” and “Crystal Bowl” are eagerly sought for their solitude, beauty and most of all for their caches of ungroomed powder. True to their names, Powder Wave I and II offer undulating terrain that will launch you up and then give you the softest of landings, on Power Wave II for all of 1500 meters. Powder Theater meanwhile gives you the chance to throw up some spray and put on a show for the watching audience on the lift. In fact at Madarao 60% of the resort goes ungroomed, so get there early enough and there will be plenty of powder on piste too. Back at the top of Madarao, heading down the other way to skier’s right brings you to the resort’s other claim to fame, its World Cup mogul course that is used for official races. We know bump skiing is not for everyone, but on a powder day its 1500m long course is one of the highlights with maximum steepness at 35°, and has an average gradient of 18°.
For beginners and families, Madarao takes great pride in the grooming of their gentler runs. You can also rest assured that the faster riders will be off playing elsewhere on the hill. Madarao has a snowboarder-only beginner course, a rarity and an idea that should be tried elsewhere given the popularity of the sport. The resort offers skiing and snowboarding lessons in English as well as Japanese, so international visitors can take a short cut in progressing their way up the mountain and hitting the powder in no time at all. Families travelling with little ones should note that a nursery called the “Tsumiki no Heya” is available inside the Madarao Kogen Hotel. It accepts children from their
first birthday onwards. Halfday care from 9 to 12am or from 1:30 to 4:30pm is a very reasonable 3,000 yen, while full-day care with both sessions is a bargain at 5,000 yen. Please note that the day care does need to be booked in advance. Madarao Mountain Resort’s neighbor, Tangram Madarao, lifts can also be ridden if you buy the Mountain Pass. This joint ticket also makes things easier to ride the powder runs on the lookers’ right side of Madarao. Shuttle buses to and from Madarao Mountain Resort are offered daily from Nozawa Onsen. The buses leave Nozawa at 08:25 and leave Madarao at 17:20 and operate from Dec 23rd to March 4th.
DEEP
POWDER ZONE with the
Best Tree Skiing
www.madarao.jp
http://www.schiheil.biz
http://www.schiheil.biz
Located in heart of Nozawa (just meters awayLocated from businstop Onsen") heart"Nozawa of Nozawa (just meters away from bus stop "Nozawa Onsen")