Today is the day! South Africa vs England in the Ruby World Cup final. England previously has won the Rugby World Cup in 2003 while South Africa has won twice in 1995 and 2007. England defeated New Zealand for their place in the final while South Africa took out Wales. It’s set to be an explosive match with both teams playing aggressively throughout the whole tournament. In Australia, kickoff will commence at 8pm (AEST). Who do YOU think will win? This is the first time a country in Asia has hosted the Rugby World Cup and not the last time Japan will host an international sporting event. Next summer Japan hosts the 2020 Olympics. Due to our history […]
Latest News from Nozawa Onsen
Travel Insurance
For those of you that like to go wild on the slopes, check that your travel insurance covers you before hitting the powder! Make sure when you are buying travel insurance for snow sports, that it covers your planned activities. There are many policies that say they cover you for snow recreation but only give you coverage for groomed runs. This means that you aren’t being covered for skiing off-piste, cross country, or backcountry. Even if they do cover off-piste, they may not cover you without a proper guide. You want to read the fine print to make sure you are getting the coverage you need and any extras such as helicopter transportation in case of extreme emergencies. Most travel […]
Stay Connected in Japan with Pre-paid Sim Cards
Being stuck without data or racking up huge fees while traveling can quickly ruin a trip. Its now easier and cheaper than ever to stay connected in Japan with pre-paid sim cards. You’ll be able to post to Instagram and make your friends jealous your entire trip! Buying and getting set up with a Sim card can be done right when you arrive in Japan. Most pre-paid Sim card companies make it easy to pick up Sim cards at both Narita and Haneda Airport. They also have English support so you don’t have to worry about any language barriers. You’ll need to have an unlocked cell phone to use a prepaid sim card and most options don’t offer text […]
Sea to Summit Race
The Sea to Summit race took place over the weekend on the nearby Chikuma River and Kosha Mountain. The race, which has participants kayaking and then hiking up a mountain, went ahead to celebrate nature despite the devastation of the recent typhoon. Although there was light rain, the race went well and high participation with people coming from all over the country to celebrate the area’s natural beauty. Check out this video for some gorgeous fall scenery and exciting clips from the race!
Natural Hotsprings in Japan: Nozawa Onsen
Japan is a country filled with natural hotsprings and for centuries Japanese people have used natural hot springs for relaxation and healing. Japan has over 30,000 natural hotsprings and over 3,000 onsen resorts! Way before Nozawa became famous for skiing it was a popular place with travelers from Tokyo as a Mountain Onsen Retreat. There are 13 free onsens in Nozawa and various private ones they are all housed in beautiful traditional Japanese buildings. They are scattered all around town. Some are surrounding the Lodges and we suggest you take advantage of them. It’s a great way to experience the local culture and makes you feel terrific, with the natural minerals it is perfect after a day on the […]
Snow in Tokyo
Snow in Tokyo. Will it Snow in Tokyo this year? Yes it does snow in Tokyo a little bit most years. Over the last 70 years it has snowed on average 9.5 days a year with an average of 7.6cm in total. So not a lot normally but enough to make everything look pretty! This is of course just an average, so there are some years with lots more snow. The current record is 33 cm and was set in 1951. And in more recent years Tokyo had 27 cm in 2014 and 21 cm in January 2018. I was there in 2014 and there were people skiing down the street in Akihabara. A ” Magic Foot” in […]
Still Rooms in Nozawa for Peak Season!
It’s a perfect opportunity to book as there has just had a cancellation at Lodge Nagano for 2 beautiful Japanese Style Tatami rooms with awesome views in January. Check in ; 13th of January 2020 Check out ; 24th of January 2020 Be in Nozawa for the famous Fire Festival and for some of the best snow you will ever experience. The Fire Festival is on the 15th of January and is a celebration for a plentiful harvest, good fortune, prosperity in life and health in the next year and quite a spectacle to watch. They are perfect dates for School Holidays and the rooms are right next door to each other so great for families, together will sleep 5 […]
5 Reasons to visit Nozawa Onsen in Spring
Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort in Nagano Japan is quickly becoming a favourite destination for skiers and snowboarders from all over the world and with very good reason. It has a beautiful traditional Japanese feel combined with some of the best snow conditions in the world! All this plus delicious food and streets lined with soothing Onsens or hotsprings which are free to use. Many people visit in the peak times of January and February but for some reason think that the season is over in March but that is not the case March can be some of the best skiing of the season and we also love the Spring skiing in April. 5 Reasons to visit Nozawa Onsen […]
First Snow of the Season has Hit Japan
Temperatures have been dropping across Japan, bringing the season’s first snow. Nagano received its first snow of the season just the night before last nearby in Hakuba. The Karasawa Hutte sitting at just over 2300 m received a nice dusting. It is surrounded by 4 peaks that are all over 3000m and they were looking nice and white with a fresh cover of snow too. This is however not the first snow for Japan this season. In northern Japan, Hokkaido’s Daisetsuzan park received about 5cm of snow on the 18th of September this area in Kurodake is often the first place to see snow in Japan and was nice and early this year. The first snow also fell in […]
The Power of Powder Nozawa Onsen Japan
The Power of Powder Nozawa Onsen Japan Welcome to your Sunday Snow show from Nozawa Onsen. Last weekend we were reminded of how much precipitation we can get in Japan in a very short period of time, sometimes just too much. In winter it can often feel like too much as well but can also be just right and can create a lot of excitement. This clip a lazy 50cm of fresh snow overnight. Bring on winter and Go The Cherry Blossoms in the Rugby Tonight.