Frequently Asked Questions Nozawa | FAQ Nozawa Onsen

Check out this link:  https://www.nozawaholidays.com/getting-to-nozawa-onsen/

Please send us a request form via this link and our shuttle booking team will check the availability and get back to you.
https://www.nozawaholidays.com/shuttle-bus/

Shuttles need to be booked at least 7 days in advance.
If you are traveling during peak time, we would recommend you to book them as soon as possible.

We are used to late check ins, so not to worry.
The lodge staff will leave a sign at reception so you can find the way to your room for the night.
And then please come to our office on the next day to collect your lift tickets etc.

Sorry we do not.
Nozawa Onsen is a small village unlike other resorts and all accommodations we offer are within walking distance from bus stops. If you have any problems finding us, please call 090 9669 6026 between 8am and 7pm for further directions.

Unless you are traveling during Japanese national holiday season, you can get those tickets on the day at big JR stations anywhere in Japan.
If you are traveling around New Year’s, we would recommend you to purchase the tickets as soon as you arrive in Japan.

Nozawa Onsen Liner Bus runs between Iiyama station and Nozawa Onsen village and they do not take bookings in advance.
Please go to the bus stop and pay the driver when you get on the bus.

It depends how long and how far you are traveling.
Check the normal fare via this link so you can compare with JR Pass.
http://www.hyperdia.com/en/
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/eastpass_n/index.html

Yes we can!
Please send us the following and we will send you a quote:
– Number of people
– Number of luggage and what kind of bags (i.e. 4 x suit cases + 2 ski bags)
– Date
– Arrival time and flight number (if applicable).

Nozawa Onsen is a small village and almost everything is within walking distance.
There is free shuttle bus service in the village.

We have great English Speaking in-house instructors.
Once we sort out your accommodation with us, you can pre-book your lessons from this link.
Here is a link for more details and a request from.
https://www.nozawaholidays.com/lesson-registration/

No, it does not.
You need to purchase your lift pass before the lesson starts.

Yes, our instructors are all English speakers.

We would recommend you to book in advance if you are coming during peak time.
But you can sort when you arrive if there is a spot.

We are sorry, but one instructor cannot ski and snowboard at the same time.
So you will need to book 2 instructors, one for skiing and one for snowboarding.

If this is their first time, please book private lessons for the first couple of days so they can used to ski before they join the lesson group.

We are sorry, our kids group lessons are for kids aged between 5 and 10. (or should this be 13 as we have a few older kids booked)
However, your child can still have private lessons.
Please write a note when you send a request form.

Depending on the day, but usually up to 6.
We make different groups with different levels, so beginners will be a group and intermediate skiers will be in the other group.

Skiing is easier to learn but harder to master
Snowboarding is harder to learn but easier to progress reasonably quickly
If you surf or skateboard, snowboarding wouldn’t be too difficult.

The rental shop of Nozawa Holidays is directly below Central apartments (#5 on the town map).
We are open from 8am until 7pm.
If you are a group arriving in the afternoon and want to get gear, best to go between 4 and 7pm as we have more staff.

Town map: https://www.nozawaholidays.com/town-map/

The prices for ski or snowboard hire varies on the amount of time you want to hire for, and what type of gear you hire.
A link to all the different prices and discounts available is below. https://www.nozawaholidays.com/ski-gear-clothing-hire/

Yes, you can. But please come to the shop after 3pm.
Even if you come before 3pm, we will need to ask you to come back later.

There are some pros and cons for renting and owning gear.
See this link: https://www.nozawaholidays.com/news/ski-snowboard-rental-nozawa-onsen/

We prefer to have rentals paid when you arrive just in case some of the items rented changes.
But probably best if you can send us a heads up on what you need as you are coming peak time.
You can just send one form for each person here at this link
https://www.nozawaholidays.com/ski-gear-clothing-hire/

Yes, we do.
Please let us know in advance if you need UK14 (UK14) boots or bigger and we will prepare them for you.

We have a ski locker near the main gondola station and you can store your gear there for free.
However, it gets very busy during peak time and we recommend you to store your gear at your accommodation for extra security if you bring your own gear.
See this link for more details: https://www.nozawaholidays.com/info/lockers/

Premium skis/ snowboard are the latest model from this season or last which usually have better technology with rockers or chambers, etc.
You can also swap out into Powder skis if you take this option.
First swap is free with standard option, premium package you get 3 free swaps and after that is 1500 yen a swap.

Yes, you can.
First swap is free with standard option, premium package you get 3 free swaps and after that is 1500 yen a swap.

Yes, we sell new or used gear.
If we do not have what you want, we can get it from other shop in Nozawa Onsen, so please ask.

Yes, we do.
Waxing and Edging are both 1500 yen.

Please book your monkey tour in advance as there are limited seats available on the bus and you may miss out.
You are able to do this at our offices Villa Nozawa (#4 on the town map), Lodge Nagano (#3), Central Apartments (#5) or Kaiya Nozawa (#6).

Town map: https://www.nozawaholidays.com/town-map/

We usually run the tour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Depending on the number of people we can run it any other days.
Just Ask!

The tour to the monkeys departs Lodge Nagano at 12pm and Central at 12.15pm so everyone can walk down together to the bus.
You leave Nozawa at 12.30 and are back in town by 5.30pm.

You will need to walk for 1.6km through the forest before you reach the monkeys.
The walk is fairly level with one set of stairs and an incline just before the ticket station at the end.

You should dress warm when you do the snow monkey tour. Layers are best, and waterproof clothing is helpful if it has snowed recently.
Footwear should be waterproof and warm, and also comfortable to walk 1.6km in.
Shoe crampons are available to hire for ¥500 as the path can get icy and slippery sometimes.
You can also bring cash for lunch at Kappa Sushi and also souvenirs at the monkey park.
Cameras are a necessity!

There are many kinds of restaurants in Nozawa Onsen.
Japanese, Chinese, Italian, burger shops, fish and chips, noodle shops, etc.
You can download this free restaurants and bars guide: https://www.nozawaholidays.com/restaurants-bars/

We can take dinner bookings for you when you are in Nozawa Onsen.
Please come to our office.
We are sorry, we do not take dinner bookings in advance.

Yes, these restraints are vegetarian/vegan friendly.
Hatoguruma Kawabata
Jisaku Izakaya
Sakai Izakaya
Shin-ko-qu
Tanuki

We serve you eggs, bacons, toasts, muesli and fresh fruit for breakfast at each lodges. (Hot menu changes daily)                                There is a fruit and vegetable shop and small super market in town where you can purchase fresh food.

If you are travelling to Nozawa Onsen by Shinkansen, there is a supermarket in front of the station at Iiyama that stocks everything you would need.
It is mostly Japanese products, but they also have things like pasta, sauces, pizza, fruit and vegetables, etc.
There is a small supermarket in the centre of the village in Nozawa Onsen and a slightly larger one at the start of the village that you can top up on supplies.
There is also a great butcher about 7 minute walk from Nozawa Central that has chicken, ham, steak etc.

It is Japanese tradition to bathe naked in the public onsens within Nozawa Onsen, so please do not wear swimwear in these.
However, you are able to wear swimwear in Sparena which is an outdoor mixed sex onsen.
This is great for families or people who are struggling with the heat of the public onsens.
There are discount passes available if you are going to Sparena.

When you take an onsen in Nozawa you need to have body soap and towel as a minimum.
The traditional etiquette is to wash your body with soap before getting into the onsen.
You do not have to have shampoo and conditioner if you are not going to wash your hair.

There are some important local manners, so please read through this link – https://www.nozawaholidays.com/onsen-etiquette/

Jonnobi has a private outdoor onsen. Their prioprity is their own guests but
they open for outside guests during day.
They don’t take bookings. The entry is on a first come, first serve basis.

It is stated in the booking confirmation email and at the bottom on your booking form attached.
if you are not sure, please contact us.

Check in: 3pm
Check out: 10am

You can check in anytime after 3pm, but you can leave your luggage with us if you arrive earlier.
If you are staying at a lodge, please come to the reception of the lodge.
If you are staying at an apartment/house, please come to our office.

We have free WiFi available at our offices and there are also some WiFi spots on the bottom of Nagasaka station and the main street.
Many restaurants and Cafes also offer free WiFi while you have a bite or grab a bowl of noodles too.
See this link for more details
https://www.nozawaholidays.com/news/wifi-internet-nozawa-onsen-japan-staying-connected/

Yes.
Please ensure to write your booking name and check in date on the invoice so that we can recognise which booking the luggage belongs to.
If you are staying at a lodge, you can send them straight to the lodge.
If you are staying at an apartment/house, please send them to our office.
For more details, please see this link: https://www.nozawaholidays.com/courier-your-bags/

If you purchase lift tickets through us, they are non-consecutive and you can use them as multiple one day passes (you can use them over ten days).

Cancellations are no fun for anyone and affect us greatly only operating for 3 months of the year. By paying your deposit you agree to the terms of our cancellation policy.

Cancellations more than 90 days prior to the start of booking and with good reason then happy to give a credit for a stay at a later date.

Cancellations less than 90 days prior to start of booking forfeit the 20% deposit already paid.

Cancellation within 60 days prior to start of booking incurs a 50% cancellation fee of total package.

Cancellation less than 30 days prior to the start date of booking incurs a 100% cancellation fee for accommodationPart Cancellations are handled in the same way.
We strongly advise guests to have Travel Insurance cover to protect themselves against unexpected changes to their travel plans and in the case of any injuries.

We can do guiding, just book in one of our instructors for a session for side country
https://www.nozawaholidays.com/lesson-registration/

If you are wanting to do a backcountry day, here is a link
http://japansnowadventures.com/backcountry-tours/nozawa-backcountry-tour/

If you let us know in advance, we will set up a cot in your room for free.

There is a child care centre at Hikage.
Yumin Day Care: www.nozawaski.com/sp_en/mountain/families.php

You can send a request to them directly in English: tozawa@nozawaski.com

Yes, we can.

Rate: Hourly rate up to 2children…¥3,000 per hour (minimum request 3hours)

Additional kids (Max 4/carer)…¥750 per hour per child

Please let us know on your arrival and we organise it for you.

There are a fairly even mix of all levels of slopes and interests to suit everyone.
Even if you ski here for days you can still discover little areas and pockets that will excite and delight.
See this link for the details and the map: https://www.nozawaholidays.com/ski-resort/course-information/

From 10:00 on both the 24th and 25th of December, See Santa make an appearance at Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort!
Be one of the first 100 people each day to meet the jolly big man, and claim your Christmas Present!
There are decorations throughout the village and you may find some restaurants/ lodges that celebrate with drinks or dinner.

We do not organise any other day tours but you could try at the tourist office when you are in Nozawa Onsen to see if they have any available. Check out this guide too.
Alternatively, you could take the bus and train to Nagano for the day – there is a beautiful temple, Zenkoji Temple and lots of lovely shops, restaurants etc.
Or you could take the train to Matsumoto to see the Castle or to Kanazawa which is like a small Kyoto.
There are quite a few beautiful places to visit by train – for more information, you could ask us when you arrive.