Nozawa Onsen
Why Nozawa Onsen?
Nozawa Onsen, located in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture, is a hot spring and ski resort village. It is one of the largest and most popular ski resorts in Japan and is specifically renowned for it's onsen with more than 13 public hot spring baths that can be used free of charge. Nozawa Onsen has real character! Despite becoming a Mecca for keen skiers and apres-skiers, it has retained its traditional Japanese charm.The village is located at the foot of Kenashi-yama and has an altitude of 1650 meters. Nozawa Onsen strives to maintain a traditional atmosphere. You will find the shops on the small winding main street selling the local delicacy called Nozawa-na. This vegetable is similar to English spinach and is made into a variety of pickles and also mixed with other ingredients to fill delicous steamed dumplings available fresh from outdoor sellers to eat as you explore the village. You will not want for variety of restaurants, bars and Izakaya both in the village or on the mountain. Wonderful noodle dishes, sushi, Japanese BBQ and the all in one pancake called Okonomiyaki will tempt you.
The mountain offers great terrain for all standards and as Nozawa Onsen is a weekend destination for the locals, you will be spoilt with no crowds during the week, both on the wide runs or if you venture off piste into the magical tree runs. If you want to enjoy longer runs there are a some that are over 3000m long. Beginners don't need to stay at the bottom of the mountain and miss the view. The wonderful area of Uenotiara is the best place for learners, a gentle slope that runs for 2 km is a wonderful way to improve your skills and the gondola ride up and back makes access easy.
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Mountain Statistics
| Ski Season | Dec - Apr |
| Mountain Elevation | 1650m |
| Average snow depth | 3.4 metres |
| Longest Run | 10km |
| Number of Courses | 20 courses |
| Number of lifts | 21 ski lifts |
| Terrain | Beginner: 40%, Intermediate: 30%, Advanced 30% |
Activities
Skiing and Snow boarding:
The Yû-road (constructed in 1994), a moving lane with a total length of about 300 meters, connects the village center with the ski resort. With 2 gondolas, 22 chair lifts and 50 kilometers of courses to ride, Nozawa Onsen is one of the largest ski resorts in Japan. Alpine skiing, cross country skiing and ski jump facilities are available.h3>Arena Swimming Complex
For people who want to enjoy swimming in water with normal temperature there is the Arena, a modern swimming pool, which was opened in 1993. Inside there is a waterslide with a length of 102 meters, a wave pool, a 104 meters long current pool, a sauna and a solarium. The entrance fee for the Arena is 1500 Yen during the winter season and 1000 Yen during the summer season.
Onsens
Nozawa Onsen is famous for the huge amount of hot springs (onsen). There are more than 30 hot springs, with 100% natural spring water.
