Snow week coming Nozawa One of my favourite things about skiing at Nozawa Onsen, is seeing all the pups and dogs racing across the ski field. Siberian Huskies, Shiba, labradors and retrievers. Every day, I spot at least five furry friends running about in the snow. It’s simply adorable. Even more so if the dog is wearing ski goggles, little booties or a warm coat! Of all the places I’ve skied, I’ve never seen so many dogs! If you or your family member would like to pat the dog, you can ask via the phrase below! It’s always good to introduce yourself to the owner as well! Anata no inu ni sawattemo iidesuka? さわっても いいですか？ This week is looking to […]
Happy Chinese New Year Nozawa
Happy Chinese New Year Nozawa What a weekend in Nozawa Yesterday was a fantastic day on the mountain. The snow just kept coming all day and heavy at times. Was funny as I got on the Gondola after lunch it was sunny down the bottom but 8 minutes later when reached the top the snow was dumping down. Nice cold temps too which kept the slopes in good condition all day. Being the weekend and the start of Chinese New Year there were definitely more people around but didn’t line up much at all yesterday afternoon. Most Tokyo folk will head off at lunch time today so this afternoon should be good too. Todays Japanese word is “Nichiyobi” which means […]
Last Minute Booking Nozawa
Last Minute Booking Nozawa Snowy Winters day in Nozawa Almost the “Magic Foot” of fresh snow overnight for Nozawa and has probably got to 30cm by the time I finish typing this with huge flakes dropping from the sky right now in the village. The snow started just when I was heading to the onsen at about 9pm last night but heavier this morning. Great to see real winter conditions back in town and they look set to continue for a while now. Being the weekend should be a few people around but plenty of fresh tracks up for grabs. Gondola opens soon so get up there and have an awesome day Todays Japanese word is “Yuki” which means Snow. […]
Skiing Nozawa Onsen Japan
Skiing Nozawa Onsen Japan Calm before the storm in Nozawa Lots of big smiles on the hill yesterday for what many guests were describing as an epic day. With blue skies, frosted trees and nice snow conditions, people were having a great time on the slopes. Not many people around either which always helps. Looking like another sunny start to the day here as I peer out my window and drink my morning coffee. No new snow overnight but the groomers and views should be on point. Todays Japanese word is “Hare” which means Sunny. 🌄TODAY: Temperature at the top; -4 degrees New snow since yesterday; 0cm Base at the top; 140cm Snow conditions; Compacted snow so we recommend sticking […]
Skiing Fun Nozawa Onsen
Skiing Fun Nozawa Onsen The Sun is out early today in Nozawa and shaping up to be a beautiful day ahead. Feast your eyes on the web cams up top. The Nozawa trees are doing their beautiful thing; https://nozawa-onsen.com/nozawa-webcams/ A cool thing about Nozawa Onsen is seeing the giantic ski jumps! Before coming here, I’d seen them only on a screen while watching the Winter Olympic Games, utterly in awe of the brave participants willing to ski with their skis straight and fly straight into the sky’s arms. Now, seeing them in person, the awe has only increased tenfold! The first recorded ski jump was in 1922! Between 1924 and 1925, permanent ski jumps were installed at the top […]
Back into winter Nozawa
Back into winter Nozawa Our favourite days are back… The ones right after a storm, where the clouds open up and the sun shines down and we find ourselves viewing a delicious snow paradise of fresh powder. Yesterday was an epic day out exploring in our “mountain office.” And the best thing is, there are more of these days to come! Next week’s forecast is holding strong for some huge snow dumps so let’s get out there today and do some snow dances! TODAY: Temperature at the top; -4 degrees New snow since yesterday; 0 cm Base at the top; 150cm Snow conditions; The groomers were out last night and it’s going to be a great day to go carving. […]
Snow, Vegan Treats Nozawa
Snow, Vegan Treats Nozawa The Siberian chills are back and it’s starting to feel like the middle of winter again here in Nozawa Onsen. The long range forecast is holding strong and there are going to be several days coming up for more than half a metre top up each day! The Fire Gods have received our prayers from Sunday evening’s Fire Festival. I just wanted to introduce a new cafe in town! Shizen, located on the back streets of Nozawa Onsen near the Post Office, it is a little bit of summer hidden in the depths of winter. It’s a great spot to read a book, journal away, and relax in peace and quiet! Shizen also offers yoga morning […]
Fire Festival History Nozawa
Fire Festival History Nozawa For many visitors to Nozawa Onsen, last night will have been an event to remember. It was Nozawa Onsen’s annual Dosojin Fire Festival. The fire festival, held on the 15th of January every year, is about bringing good fortune to the New Year by driving away evil spirits with sacred fire. It is a long-held tradition and had always been run by five groups of young men. During World War Two, the village men had to leave to go and fight. There was also a shortage of buna trees, used in the ceremony. It became difficult to continue the festival. In 1955, a man named Seiji Azegami took charge, not wanting to let the fire tradition […]
Temperatures Dropping Nozawa Onsen
Temperatures Dropping Nozawa Onsen Tonight is the Fire Festival! The festival dates back to 1863 and it’s about praying for a plentiful harvest, good health and good fortune for the coming year. The 25 year olds and the 42 year olds of the village play the most important role. An old belief in Japan dictates that, for men, these years are unlucky ages. Over the last few days, those villagers have been constructing a shaden (shrine) from the beech wood they pulled down from the mountain on Friday. During the festival, the 42 year olds will sit on top of the shaden and the 25 year olds stand guard at the base. Torch bearing villagers of all ages will then attempt […]
Nozawa Onsen’s local traditions
Nozawa Onsen’s Local Traditions Yesterday was another day of Fire Festival preparation. The 42 year olds and the 25 year olds of the village each pulled a felled tree down from the resort, through the village and onto the festival grounds. There was a race across the snow outside of the Hikage Information Centre. And the 42 year olds won! Sake was flowing and by the beginning of the evening, the men involved were dashing into local stores to get water bottles as they continued to drink sake and pull the trees through the village, singing, laughing, and cheering. It was such a sight to see! Check back later today for some more information about the history of the Fire […]