Nozawa Onsen voted one of the best overall Resorts in Japan by Powderhounds! Great to see that Nozawa Onsen has featured in the top again this year by the popular Powderhounds website and its readers. We got top mentions for – Best overall Ski Resort based on infrastructure, services, terrain, snow and value – Overall Terrain – Advanced Piste Terrain – Family Resort – Onsens Even a mention for best Nightlife, which is a bit of a surprise but the Karaoke Bars can kick on! So if you have chosen to visit Nozawa Onsen this season looks like you have made a good choice. Thanks to everyone for the ongoing support as always and we look forward to a great […]
Telemark Skiing in Nozawa Onsen
Telemark skiing is not a form of phone marketing but an amazing graceful way to slide down the slopes. Nozawa Onsen local Takemitsu san is one of Japan’s best and a joy to watch as he floats down the mountain in Nozawa. You may recognise him as he works at his parents restaurant Buna on the paradise slope and can also be seeing tuning skis at Mt Dock at the base of the Nagasaka Gondola. Check out this great little video on him and see some nice scenery from Nozawa as well. It is not the easiest form of mountain descent but if you have mastered regular downhill skiing it may be time to move up to the next challenge. […]
Could Turkey be the birthplace of Snowboarding?
If like me you were probably not even aware that Turkey had good snow little lone a riding culture. Patagonia does some pretty cool things and in this short film they send a few of their riders into the foothills of the Kackar Mountains of Turkey to discover the heritage of snowboarding. The film goes for 15 minutes and is well worth grabbing a cup of tea and taking a break in your day to check out. The people of the small mountain village of Petran have been riding these magical wooden planks for around 300 Years. Snowboarding Petran Style The construction is pretty basic just some planks of wood nailed together and then the ends steamed to give some […]
Amazing Autumn in Nozawa Onsen
Amazing Autumn in Nozawa We were blessed with a period of fine weather over the last few days, so were able to make a hike to the summit to witness a spectacular sunset/sunrise. The foliage slowly turning to autumn colors made for a beautiful backdrop, you may be able to recognize one of your favorite runs Yamabiko A course! There are plenty of hiking courses on the mountain ranging from small strolls in the forest to full day or overnight treks. Across from us is the famous Shinetsu trail which runs along the border of Niigata and Nagano prefectures, and takes approximately 5 days to finish at a leisurely pace with food and rest houses along the way. Great […]
Slope preparation on target in Nozawa
Things are taking shape on the Slope of Nozawa! The mountain staff has been busy mowing the runs and clearing the shrubs so all is looking nice and defined. Just need to add the white stuff now! The new lift on Hikage Slope is also taking shape as can see in these photos and should be a nice addition. The overall plan with that Hikage lift is not just about the winter. The Nozawa Onsen Resort also plans to open a summer offering there with artificial ski slopes and Japan’s longest Zip line! Summer Skiing in Nozawa Onsen From my understanding the slope will be a series of plastic cup like brushes with water being constantly sprayed on them […]
Nozawa Central Apartment available in January
Nozawa Central Two Bedroom Apartment now available from 29th of January 2017 for a week! Just had a cancellation in this beautiful and spacious apartment at Nozawa Central. It was fully renovated just before last season and is in an awesome location in the middle of Nozawa Onsen Village. Nozawa Central Apartments are fully self-contained facilities include: Each Apartment has full size kitchens with all the appliances and equipment you need Master Bedroom has Queen Bed and the other bedroom has 2 x Single beds can put an extra person in each room on request Western style toilet and Bathroom with shower and double wash basin and an amazing free standing bath tub Spacious living areas with Mountain views Hair Dryers, […]
A December to remember in Nozawa Onsen
The signs are starting to emerge that we could get an early start to the season in Nozawa this year but will have to wait and see. In general the resort tries to open by December 1st each year and most seasons we tend to get there. If it is a little late then it is very rare that we are not strapping on the planks by mid December at the latest. Just two seasons ago in December 2014 we got absolutely dumped on in early December. We had 3 meters of snowfall in just 4 days. Here is a link to reports at that time Nozawa December Early Season We could not keep up with the snow, the base went […]
First Snow hits Japan and Nozawa chills!
First snow hits Japan! After just discussing yesterday that it could be an early season the first snow has arrived in Japan! Just a dusting up North in Hokkaido, but still enough to get excited about. At the same time the forecast is heading in the right direction in Nozawa too with the freezing level set to drop by around 2000m from current levels by the end of the week. You have to love Japan not only are the trains on time so is the weather!
Nozawa Onsen and Shigakogen Season Pass
The Big 2 Shigakogen and Nozawa Onsen Season Pass has just come on sale. It’s a pretty good deal to access a lot of terrain. We used to ski over land between the two resorts and you can see Shiga Kogen from the top of Nozawa so it is not far away. Cost is 75,000 Yen compared to 63,000 Yen for the Nozawa Season Pass so if think you may make it over to Shiga Kogen for at least a few days then it is worthwhile. They limit it to just 1000 passes but I have never heard of it selling out so no real […]
A Day in Tokyo on way to Nozawa
Many customers visiting Nozawa ask me every year what the best sights are in Tokyo and how to go about seeing them. Even if you only have a spare day at the start or end of your trip, you can pack in a huge amount of famous sights on a tiny budget if you’re willing to move those legs! Some Tokyo Tips 1. Get moving nice and early, and start your day with a sunrise visit to the famous Tsukiji fish market for the breakfast of champions – best sushi in the world. 2. Head towards Harajuku station, where you can at one station both step back in time at the incredible Meiji Jingu temple, and witness the chaos of […]