004 Welcome to Nozawa Onsen 009 What’s New? 010 10 Things to do in Nozawa What activites to try this season
014 Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival 018 The Town Map 020 Nozawa Connections 024 Public Onsen Guide 027 Snow Sports Lessons Time to hit the snow
028 Ski Areas
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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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 sulphurous. 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 over-
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whelmingly 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 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.
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. 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!
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.
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 2019. Fireworks will bring in the New Year.
JANUARY 5th & MARCH 23rd 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.
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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.
Nozawa Onsen is one of those places that is so seriously seductive, once you have experienced it, you just want to come back for more. And nowhere is this more so than the powder that Nozawa has to offer. With this in mind the resort will be opening up more powder filled meadows at not only the top Yamabiko powder zone but also on the lower slopes that lead to the valley floor. Who is up for a peak to base one kilometer of vertical, thigh burning, non stop powder run?
Austrian-Hungarian Major Theodor Edler von Lerch introduced skiing to Japan over 100 years ago in 1911. He was in Japan to study as an exchange officer with the Japanese army. He watched the soldiers marching in the snow and thought skiing would be a more ideal way of moving across the snowy landscapes and mountains. Soon after this skiing as a pastime become popular with ski resorts popping up and one of them was Nozawa Onsen which this year is celebrating its 95th anniversary. To mark the occasion the resort is offering 95 prizes to lucky skiers and snowboarders who fill out the form on back of the lift pass and drop them in the 95th Anniversary boxes near to the ticket centers.
Previous visits to Nozawa Onsen meant you had a few options on posting those ever so important Instagram pictures or checking up on email. You either had to have an expensive roaming Wi-Fi plan, rent a Japanese smartphone at the airport or wait until you were back at your hotel and could access the accommodation’s Wi-Fi. This year this all changes with Nozawa Onsen having set up free Wi-Fi for tourists. Look out for Nozawa Onsen’s character Naski (pictured above) for the nearest spots to connect.
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Take a ride in a snowcat to untouched snowy meadows for one of the unique excursions in Nozawa Onsen. Experience the sights and sounds of the beautiful mountains in heated comfort. Each snowcat holds up to sixteen passengers. Keep your eyes peeled for a Kamoshika, Japanese serow. Approximate tour time is 45mins.
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Make your very own buckwheat soba noodles before eating them for lunch. During the lesson you will learn how to create the dough, roll it out and then the hard part cutting it into thinly sliced strips, a little like spaghetti. And then comes the best part, cooking the soba and eating what you have created. See Nozawa Tourism Commission
Zenkoji temple has been admired for over 1400 years as Japan’s primary center of Buddhist faith. Zenkoji houses the first Buddhist statue to come to Japan. The Tomyo light festival is definitely worth a visit! See page 22. A train from Iiyama Station takes 12mins by Shinkansen
Fly over the slopes on a high wire adventure, a full 652 meters in length, the longest in Japan over the ski slopes at Hikage base area. With an elevation drop of over 120 meters and a maximum speed of 70kmph, this one is for all the adrenaline junkies out there!
Nozawa Onsen as the name suggests to home to many onsens. 13 of these are free for everyone to bathe. They are scattered around the resort with the largest being O-yu in the center of Nozawa Onsen. The different onsens all have slightly different mineral content, and all are great for soaking in after a hard day on the mountain. Try a onsen crawl, like a pub crawl but visiting the various onsens. Don’t forget to bring a towel! Onsen Listings Page 24-25
A leisurely activity where one can really venture off the beaten paths is snowshoeing. Nothing compares to walking through deep fresh snow in a winter forest with snowshoes on. Without too much work, snowshoers can get into magnificent old growth forests and sub-alpine plateaus with fantastic panoramic views of the Northern Alps. Snowshoeing is great for families, couples and people of all ages and is a nice change from the busy resorts if you have a free day. To make the most of your time and to experience the best sights and hidden gems of the Nozawa Onsen area, it is recommended to sign up for a guided tour. With safe and professional guides to give you tips on your walking technique on the trails, teaching you about the local wildlife and showing you the beauty of the winter mountains you’ll have some great photos as well as some wonderful winter holiday memories.
In 1912, Austrian Major General Theodor von Lerch introduced skiing to Japan. To document this rich history, Nozawa Onsen is home to the Japan Ski Museum. It is a treasure trove of skiing and the heritage of it, not only in Japan but throughout the world. The Japan Ski Museum is located on the slopes just above the Hikage Gondola Base area.
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Most monkeys are happy swinging in the trees of tropical jungles, but not here in Nagano. For our monkeys, there’s nothing like soaking in a hot bath to ease their troubles away. One look at them relaxing in the tub, and it’s you who’ll be singing “Oobee doo! I wanna be like you!” The park is great for kids and a massive draw to photographers. See Page 7 for tour information
In Nozawa Onsen there is a hot spring onsen, for local villagers to boil their vegetables and local delicacies. Cooked in steaming onsen hot spring water , onsen manju is the must-have. The soft steamed buns filled with sweet bean paste are a specialty of Nozawa Onsen. Another favorite is Oyaki, steamed buns. These are tasty treats when eaten during a stroll through the streets of the resort.
After a great day on the slopes of Nozawa head over to Sparena. Sparena is a large both indoor and outdoor hot spring facility where both men and women can bathe together wearing swimsuits. The large open air bath offers great views of the mountains, where you can see what you have ridden only a few hours ago. The facility also includes a sauna and is popular for families. After bathing head to the restaurant and relaxation room to complete the rejuvenation. Sparena Map G-4
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/
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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!
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Restaurant 18:00 - 22:00 Bar 17:00 - 23:00 Tel: 0269-85-1230 www.jonnobi.jp MAP F-4
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Uenotaira Cross Country raining Courses (limited period)
The location for viewing sunset (open in summer)
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HIKAGE INFORMATION CENTER
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卍 Temple
Cafe
Clinic
Foot bathing facility
Bar/Drinking Establishment
AED
Accommodation
Restaurant
Post Office
Phone Booth
Public facility
Ski Center/Others
Postbox
Gas Station
Local Businesses &Shops/Others
Ski / Snowboard Rental Shop
Monument
Nozawa Connect
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Hot-spring Facility
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Public Hall Publuc Gym
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VILLAGE OFFICE
Fire House
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Nozawa-Onsen TAXI Kotsu(Taxi&Bus)
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Akiha Shrine
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Tomiki Tsukemono (Nozawana pickles)○
○Mochizuki Timber
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Matsumura Architectural design ○
○Miyazaki Shop (Installation)
●New Hoshiba BUS
Miyazaki Shop ○ (Installation)
P-1 Parking 0 Nagasaka Shuttle Bus Terminal
●MAEZAKA(N4) ●MAEZAKA
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Fire Watchtower
Nagaya Electric○
Maezaka Public Hall
●Schanze Nozawa
Katagiri Shop (Professional use food)○
for IIYAMA City TOYOTA・IIYMA IC NAGANO City
Nozawa onsen Jumping Hills (Normal Hill, Medium Hill, Small Hill)
Sosakuya Kobo
Yanagiya ○ Dry Cleaning
Akataki Shrine
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（1,450m）
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Nozawa onsen Nakao
○Tourist Information Center
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Servus
NAGASAKA SLOPE
Country Papa Lodge Nakajima ●
Rokken Spring
YAMABIKO SLOPE
Rest House Yamabiko
Yunosatoichi farmers' shop (closed in winter)
Fresh Store Rainbow (Perishables)○ Nozawa Auto○
（1,650m）
→ 502 （for Shigakogen・Akiyamago）
Yamabiko Ski Center
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●The Ridge Resort Nozawa Shantel ● Masazo● Osawaso P Nozawa Dream chi Familie Moriki ● ● ● Post Office（ATM） a Uenoyama● Tamagoya Mori ●Yamatatsu ● Nagumo Mitsubachi Maya enroku● ● ● ●Espoir Ebisu ndhaus Azegami Hachiman ● Sobadokoro Suzuki Shrine Olympic ●Nozawa Central ●Takagiya ouse) Koguma no Ie ● Hachiman Sports ● Shinden Neighbourhood Sawa Spring Water Park meeting hall Kanamori(Utensils) ∴ ●Itsurakuso bird-house Shimaki● ○ Care House Orauchi○ ● ●Sansui Road-Closed（Winter） Kojima● Mountside● Sunrise Meijiya Yukariso n Karasawa Nishinami ● ○Chiyoda Liquor Shop ●Hannojo p)○ Koshinto Miyuki Shop ● Minambara Ski Center 3F bip148 ●Hot Inn Togoro Pension Cross-Country Mr.IKEDA Zen-emon, use) 2F the grill Famile Peanuts House master of Akebi vine ∴ Yudonosan Courses WC 1F Kappa coffee Yamane Nishinomiya Kumakuma craft works P Miyuki Shop(Sweets) Shrine ● ●Umenoya dio P-2 Parking Kirakuso● DINING BAR ●Ichikawaso ●Aitoku Welcome Brick Nonoka(Deli) (Karasawa) Driving HAKUNA MATATA BUS ●SHINDEN(N2) ●Akebiso ● NOZAWA ● Uchidaya ○ Apple Inn ●SHINDEN Resort House NOZAWA Sports Ranges PEAKS Aigakuso● ●Takasaka Chohachiso ●Tobei Furusato ◆Thanx Karasawa branch ● ○Sakuraya ● ● Fire Station Nakao Neighbourhood Kawatatsu Sheet Metal Alpine Villa Nozawa ted card meeting hall ● ●Apre Maison Tennis Minambara Tonkichi ● ●Resort Inn Abe Akari House ● ountry) Villa Katashio Nishikata Courts Grounds (Okonomiyaki) P Swiss Bakery ○ ●Karasawaso elcome Nakamura Uemasa WC ● ●Berg Marukaneya ●○Ueno Plasterer 2F Bar (Ground Floor) ● Akebiya ● Pearl eya Berghutte Miyamori Rotus Root Mominoki Shinden Terminal Coin Laundry Fuwara Yoshigoe ● ○ Road-Closed (Laundrette) (Underground) ○ ●Satsukiso （Winter） Pension Fukudaya Food Factory Vine craft studio Ueno shop Shinden Parking Deck Sato ● Uchihan● Mon Repos ●Forest no Mori ●House Mokurin Food Village KONGO ●Yoemu ● Enma(Yama)-do Hall ∴ ●Altitude Nozawa Fire Station ● Tomii Villa South Fuji Dental Clinic 55 Sanko Construction Akataki Hotel Shimizu 0 ○ River P-3 Parking P ● ●Yamasanso Uchifumiso● ○ Big Sports Rental ◆ (Minambara） Kadowaki Electric ●La Foret Tsukushinbo Shimizu branch ●Kadowakikan ● Marunaka Lodge● ●NAKAO(N3) Chibikko Sports Hiroba Kanekaso BUS ○Takeei Architects ●NAKAO ●Genbeso Shinazawa● (Kids Sports Park) ●Yura
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SHINDEN NO-YU
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NAKAO NO-YU
Meat Shop Washino○
○Takatsu Electric
ozawa Kodomoen ursery School)
Nozawa Primary School
○Kanai Automotive Shop
Nozawa Sogo (Construction)○
Nozawa Junior High School
Azegami-gumi (Construction) ○
Fresh Store Rainbow (Perishables)○ Nozawa Auto○
○WC
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Misato Guest House Asaichi ● Nozawa Car Mechanic Asaichi Shokudo Matsumura Tax ○ Kobayashi Cotton Shop○ Dosojin ○ Counseller Office Green Peas(Western) ○Sasakyu(Architects) ● La Naeige MM Koide Fabrication○ ○Sato Architects Hayagriva ○ Yunosatoichi farmers' shop COMPASS HOUSE (closed in winter) Nozawa onsen Nakao Tourist JA○ (Ski&Bike gear) Information Center ●Chalet Nozawa ENEOS JA-SS
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www.nagano-toumyou.com
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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 your skin.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
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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 has special health benefits.
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 everyone.
It is said that hot water at this bathhouse is especially for feeling healthy. 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 your health.
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.
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SNOW SPORTS LESSONS
When learning to ski or snowboard, it is best to learn from people who have learned to navigate some of the great terrain offered in Nozawa. Of course, you will start out on beginner terrain but before you know it, you will be venturing out more on the mountain and seeing an array of fun filled slopes that Nozawa has to offer. Lessons will vary depending on your ability level, instructors and guest service staff will help you into a lesson that is appropriate for your ability. For all foreign guests there are team of professional instructors from around the world ready to teach. Hikage Slope Group Lesson 10:00 – 12:30 & 13:30 – 15:30
KID’S LESSONS
All of the fun and none of the homework! Kids are on the snow and learning the fundamental moves of skiing or snowboarding in a positive team building atmosphere catered to their ability level. All this and combining elements of passion and creativity, your kids are able to learn and develop a lifelong love and passion for the sport as well as for Nozawa Onsen. Hikage Slope Lesson Ages 7 to 14. Ski & Snowboard. Ages 4 to 6 Ski only. Full Day Group Lesson 10:00 – 15:30 including lunch Morning Lesson (7-14) 10:10 - 12:30
CHILD CARE CENTER
Enjoy your Nozawa Onsen mountain adventures knowing your kids are having just as much fun as you are. The Yumi Day Care located at the Hikage Ski Center base area is open 7 days a week during the winter season. It cares for children ages 1 year up to 6 years of age. The colorful room is equipped with toys and amenities that your child needs. Hours 9:00 – 12:00 & 13:00 -16:00. Please note that there is no service between 12:00 and 13:00. Please make sure you give yourself enough time to get back to pick up your kids. Bookings 0269 85 2133 Half day 2,500yen Full Day 4,000yen
BACKCOUNTRY TOURS
To go backcountry skiing or snowboarding in Nozawa Onsen is to answer the call of the wild. Gone is the tame safety of inbounds terrain; instead you gain the satisfaction from a day spent scampering in the mountains and earning your turns. The backcountry tours are designed to accommodate different experience levels and skiing or snowboarding backgrounds. If you are a seasoned resort veteran looking to try the backcountry for the first time or a backcountry expert, Nozawa Onsen will have a tour for you. Backcountry Tours 20,000yen per person Minimum 2 http://japansnowadventures.com
KID’S PARK
Nozawa Onsen also offers activities for the youngest visitors. Children can have fun in the snow park with its Magic Carpet ski lift, slope for tobogganing, mini Naski slide and an inflatable safe playground. If it gets too cold you can always pop into the warm Hikage Ski Center for a rest. If your children ask what is Naski, you can answer he is Nozawa Onsen’s mascot, and resembles the pickled wild vegetable famous in Nozawa called Nozawana. You can find the children’s park immediately in front of the Hikage Ski Center. It is free to use the kids park facilities.
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FAST FACTS
30% BEGINNER
40% INTERMEDIATE
30% ADVANCED COURSES 36 including Paradise
LIFTS 21 including 2 x gondolas
LONGEST 10,000m
ELEVATION 1,085m
NIGHT SKIING YES
SKI SCHOOLS Nozawa Ski School 080-9083 2172
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Nozawa Connect
Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort is often called the birthplace of skiing in Japan with a long history. 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 bases 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 15-20 minutes including turning 90 degrees half way up! Hikage Getting to the Hikage from the main accommodation
NOZAWA
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. Another way to access Hikage is to take the free Shinyu Pair Lift. There is a booth at the top of the Shin-Yu Lift to buy lift tickets, and from there, you can either ski or walk a very short distance downhill to the Hikage Gondola station. At the end of the day, guests can ride the Shin Yu Lift back down to the village. 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. 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. ADVANCED Try your hand at the Schneider course named after the famed Hannes Schneider who developed the Arlberg
ONSEN SKI RESORT 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. 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 snowfall. For real “double black” skiing turn right at the bottom of Skyline onto Grandprix for 800m of white knuckle riding.
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. In 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.
DID YOU KNOW
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. 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.
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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 Nozawa Connect
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FAST FACTS
30% BEGINNER
30% INTERMEDIATE
40% ADVANCED COURSES 31 Powder Wave & Crystal Bowl
LIFTS 13
including Super Quad lift
LONGEST 2500m
ELEVATION 440m
NIGHT SKIING YES
SKI SCHOOLS MADARAO SKI ACADEMY 0269-64-3727 NORTH OUTDOOR SPORTS 090-4461-7354 ACTION SNOW SPORTS 090-2817-8988
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Nozawa Connect
MADARAO
an idea that should be tried Being about equal elsewhere given the popularity distance from of the sport. The resort offers Nozawa and Myoskiing and snowboarding lessons in English as well as ko Kogen, Madarao Japanese, so international Mountain Resort is visitors can take a short cut perfectly placed for in progressing their way up the storms that dump the mountain and hitting the the white gold on the powder in no time at all.. mountains. No won- Advanced der it is nicknamed Madarao is home to 13 tree run courses that have been MadPow!
Beginners
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.
Intermediates Madarao has a snowboarderonly course, a rarity and
thinned to produce open spaced tree runs where you can let rip. 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. In fact at Madarao 60% of the resort goes ungroomed,
DID YOU KNOW
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Shuttle buses are offered daily from Nozawa Onsen The buses leave Nozawa at 08:20 and leave Madarao at 17:20 and operate from Dec 28th to March 3rd.
FAST FACTS
25%
BEGINNER
40% INTERMEDIATE
35% ADVANCED COURSES 14 including Zendana Bowl & Happy Valley
LIFTS 5 including Arai Gondola
LOTTE ARAI
Lotte Arai is a purpose-built ski resort where lifts and slopes were developed together with a luxury hotel complex, not built above an existing rural town. Everything is linked, and there are no inconveniences like walking along icy roads
Beginners
LONGEST 5200m
ELEVATION 951m
NIGHT SKIING YES
SKI SCHOOLS Myoko Snow Sports Arai 0255-75-1160
Beginners at Lotte Arai have four green runs, the most notable being the short Sanroku run at the bottom and the long winding Rindo course down from the Kokenashi lift that runs from the gondola mid-station. Neither piste is especially wide, and the main appeal lies not in the terrain but the full range of English language services provided by the ski school and rental and gear shops.
Intermediates
Intermediates can ride the upper lifts and enjoy the whole 951 meters of vertical. We would recommend guests come with wider powder boards or rent them onsite, due to the limited and narrow terrain that is groomed. Instead of carving practice, what Arai offers is an easy introduction into powder riding in mostly tree-free sub-alpine bowls. When they are open, start in the areas off the covered Zendana lift. .
Advanced
Lotte Arai for advanced riders is all about the eleven conditional off-piste areas. We advise you to dress in layers because these include an additional 150m of vertical accessed via a short boot pack above the top lift.
DID YOU KNOW
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A lot of the terrain is open and includes multiple natural hits, giving ample opportunities for an alternative to “me in the trees” filming in Japan.
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www.nozawakanko.jp/english/
info@nozawakanko.jp