Best Coffee Nozawa Onsen Getting your morning fix in Nozawa Where is your favourite Coffee in Nozawa? Cold Winter, Hot Coffee or if prefer Hot Chocolate. They kind of go hand in hand and nothing better to warm the soul than a hot brew on a snowy day. For years it was hard to get a good cuppa in Nozawa and I remember people begging us to get a decent coffee Machine. So we did, about 10 Years ago I am guessing, we put it at Nozawa Central and it was the first espresso machine in town. As people’s love of coffee grew in Japan and around the world Nozawa followed and before long there were plenty of places to […]
Accommodation Nozawa Onsen
Shigakogen Open Season 2022
Shigakogen Open Season 2022 Our neighbours have started skiing in Shiga Kogen! Yokoteyama the highest ski resort in the area at nearby Shiga Kogen has officially opened on the 18th of November. The bottom of the resort is at 1750m above Sea Level and the top at a lofty 2305m so they tend to get more snow and colder temps in the early part of the season. Conditions are still marginal and looks like they have been using the Snow guns to make some extra snow but that fall last week was enough to give it the green light. Eager skiers and boarders turned out on mass yesterday to enjoy the sunshine and first tracks for the season. Shigakogen Open […]
Snow Depth Nozawa Onsen
Snow Depth Nozawa Onsen It is amazing what snow depth we get to in Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort in Japan Keep your eye on the road signs in Nozawa The below shot is after the first snowfall of the season a few days ago with about 15cm falling from reports. The above shot is peak season after about 12 meters of snow falling in total. The peak base last year up top was 480cm on the 23rd of February 2022. So that sign sits at about 5 meters above ground level. That’s the equivalent of almost 3 grown adults standing on each others shoulders. So we still have a long way to go but will be interesting to see where […]
Courier Service Nozawa Japan
Courier Service Nozawa Japan The Journey is inevitable. Baggage is optional Have lots of people contacting us asking if can send their bags up to Nozawa when arrive. The Answer is yes! The Courier service mainly handled by a company known as Black Cat or “Kuro Neko” is next level. They will get your bag from A to B in Japan in no time and at a very reasonable cost with pure Japanese efficiency. I once sent a bag from Tokyo at 7pm and it arrived in Nozawa at 9am the next morning. I would have struggled to get it there any quicker myself! It only cost 1500 yen too. All Airports in Japan have a “Takyubin” counter where the […]
Ski Course Nozawa Japan
Ski Course Nozawa Japan Who wants to improve their Skiing or Snow Boarding skills? Ski and Board Improvement courses in Nozawa Work on your Parallel Turns and Apres yarns with one of our awesome improvement courses this coming season in Nozawa. Join a group of like minded people to enjoy a week in the snow and hone your skills at the same time. Whether board or ski we are running 3 courses this season in December, February and March. Ski Course Nozawa Japan 7 Nights Accommodation, breakfast, 6 days lift passes and 4 hours a day of instruction all included from just 133,000 Yen or about $1435 per person. Great value and sure you would get a lot out of […]
Accommodation Nozawa Fire Festival
Accommodation Nozawa Fire Festival The Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival Who has seen it? Let us know what you thought it was like. The Fire Festival is a spectacle which needs to be seen to be believed. It is held on January 15th every year to pray for a plentiful harvest, health and good fortune in the coming year. The festival dates back to 1863, and has a rich and colourful history in Nozawa Onsen. During this festival the twenty-five and forty-two year old men from the village play a very important role. An old belief in Japan dictates that, for men, these years are unlucky ages. The men of the Village construct the shaden (shrine) from beech wood on the […]
Nozawa Gondola Open Close
Nozawa Gondola Open Close Thats a wrap for the Gondola for this Green Season in Nozawa Next time you ride it, hopefully the scene will look like this nice and white at the top when you get off. It was a spectacular array of colours in the forest canopy below the Gondola these past weeks. You can still get to the top but need to hike, ride or drive. With the cool weather it is a beautiful time to ride up and cruise down. Have many people asking when will the Ski Resort open? The official planned opening date is for Saturday the 26th of November. Last year we saw a 30th of November opening with some early falls and […]
Nozawa Onsen Main Street
Nozawa Onsen Main Street Main Street Nozawa Onsen Oyu dori The Main Street in Nozawa is pretty special to walk down anytime of year. Most nights between May and November it is like the empty shot and you could throw a bowling ball down the street but not hit a soul. In peak holiday times and most of winter though it comes to life however and the streets are bustling with people coming back from skiing and heading to an Onsen or for a bite to eat. It is a great vibe and probably one thing that makes Nozawa special compared to many other resorts. It has a real heart to the village. Many little shops and restaurants have been […]
First Snow Nozawa 2022
First Snow Nozawa 2022 Snowy Peeks from Nozawa this Morning Beautiful crisp clear start to the day in Nozawa with temps as low as 3 degrees. It is going to be a fresh day with a high of 9 degrees expected and the highlight is we have snow on some surrounding peaks. Across the valley Mt Myoko and Mt Hiuchi pulling on their white coats for the first time this season. Looks magnificent too set against the Autumn colours below. Amazing time to be in Nozawa and watch this monumental season change take place. As the march in to the long Winter begins.
Changes Japan Since Covid
Changes Japan Since Covid Has the world changed since Covid? Sure some things have changed and some stay the same. For many it has been over 2 years since you stepped on Japanese soil and snow and imagine you are excited to be coming back. We are very excited to see you in Nozawa too. To be honest Nozawa itself has not changed a great deal, in the 30 plus years I have been there it has not changed so much. One of the things I like about it 🙂 We have a new Gondola for you, as mentioned in the last post, and there are a few new restaurants about town but that same great hospitality or as Japanese […]