Nozawa Holidays

Landhaus Azegami is this weeks “ Lodge of the week” in Nozawa Onsen. Azegami lodge is pretty special in that it is one of the only Pensions in town to have its own Onsen. They won the rights to the hot spring in a raffle put on by the village. Pretty amazing as usually the Onsen feed would be very hard to get and also very expensive. So the lucky folks staying there can enjoy a relaxing soak after a day on the slopes! Located just opposite the post office in Nozawa so is very central just 200m flat walk to the center of the village and all the shops, restaurants and bars. Also very close to the central Chuo Terminal […]

“The Fourth Phase” new Snowboard Film coming soon and some footage from Nozawa featured! Travis Rice and his talented crew at Brain Farm have been working hard over the last 3 years to bring us this amazing film called “ The Fourth Phase”, coming out very soon with official premiere due on October 2nd 2016. The story is something along the lines that they follow the cycle of water as it turns to snow and melts and follow its flow around the North Pacific and track the storms that form the winter. Migrating along side weather patterns to Japan, Russia and North America. The crew takes you on some amazing journeys across the globe including our very own Nozawa Onsen […]

Nozawana, the only way to get pickled in Nozawa. Anyone that has visited Nozawa has no doubt sampled the famous Nozawana vegetable. Most restaurants in town offer it as a free starter before your meal comes and it is also our town mascot! That’s right he is not a broccoli! Nozawana is a Japanese leafy vegetable it comes from the same family and the common turnip and is a variety of mustard leaf. The leaves generally grow to about 60-90cm in length and can be enjoyed in many ways and on may foods. Most commonly it is pickled and eaten with a splash of soy sauce or “Shoyu”. Pretty awesome also when some chili is added, to give that little […]

Japan is definitely a country of 4 very distinct seasons and it is one of the major draw cards for visiting Japan along with Spring Skiing. It is amazing to experience the dramatic changes in the climate, landscape, smells and feel of each beautiful season. The changes in the seasons are often marked by a change in the trees and the blossoming of a new flower. Here is a list of 10 such flowers and when to expect to see them. Spring is naturally the busiest time for nature being woken up and amazing to see it come alive after the winter hibernation. Sakura or “Cherry Blossoms” are the most famous and can expect to see them late March to […]

Kamoshika Ski Lodge is this weeks “Lodge of the Week” in Nozawa Onsen. Kamoshika refers to the mountain goat/deer that we have in and around Nozawa Onsen. It is also the name of this amazing large and luxurious ski in ski out Lodge located just next to the main Nagasaka Gondola in Nozawa. The main lodge is made up of 5 Bedrooms and 5 Bathrooms with large living area, kitchen and media room. There is also a separate 1 bedroom Apartment that can be rented separately to the main lodge or together. It can sleep up to 4 people. The main lodge can sleep up to 20 in comfort with plenty of space for a few families or a large […]

Today is officially “Mountain Day” in Japan, which is an important day to us as the surrounding mountains in Nozawa bring us so much joy all year round. This is the first year that this day has been celebrated with a National Holiday and many people are still not aware of it. An incredible 73% of Japan is Mountainous and when you stand on the top of Mt Kenashi in Nozawa Onsen and look around you would have to believe it. As you can see from the photo the views of the Japanese Alps are amazing. This makes for some incredible skiing in the winter and at the peak of skiing’s popularity there were more than 600 ski resorts scattered […]

Good little travel article in an Australian Newspaper “ The Sunday Mail – Escape Section” about a Holiday in Japan on the weekend, called a Yen for Japan. It features 25 things about travelling in the Land of the Rising Sun and what makes it such a safe, interesting and easy place to have a holiday. No mention of Nozawa Onsen which is not always such a bad thing! It does mention the importance of doing your research before you go, make sure you know your way around the big cities and understand the unique customs that make Japan so special. Great if you can study up a bit of the language too before you come. Japanese is not as […]

Beautiful photo across the rice fields as you turn the corner and enter the village of Nozawa, it shows how Green Nozawa gets in the “Green Season”! Bet you never thought those mountains that are covered in a white blanket over the Winter months could look like this! Thanks Seiji On the other Green side, like most places in the world the environment is very important in Nozawa. The locals rely on clean water and fresh air to help grow all the amazing fresh produce that it does over the Summer months. Nozawa is famous throughout Japan for producing some of the best rice due to the fertile soil and abundance of fresh mountain water that washes thru the fields. […]

Traditional Japanese Hospitality – Sumiyoshi Ryokan is the lodging of the week in Nozawa Onsen. It is different to many places we offer in that it is a Ryokan or Japanese Traditional Inn and compared to many other Minshikus or Pensions they are more upmarket and a higher rate. If you are feeling like a splurge and total immersion into old school Japanese Hospitality then they are a fantastic experience. Sumiyoshi is the number 1 rated Ryokan or Hotel in Nozawa Onsen and is a beautiful Inn with outstanding service and friendly hosts. The Kono Family has been running Sumiyoshi since 1869 so have a long history in taking care of guests from all over Japan and the world. They […]

“Ganbate” to all those Student’s studying hard for their last year in High school or University. Ganbate is a Japanese word that is used a lot it means fight and good luck combined so is fitting for people going through the challenges of the big tests. What are you going to do at the end of it all to celebrate? In Australia it has always been a traditional rite of passage to grab your mates and head up to Surfers Paradise or one of the hot spots and let your hair down for a week known infamously as “ Schoolies Week” The past few seasons in Nozawa we have seen a trend for groups saving their coin and instead going […]