Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 9th March 2019 It was a pretty amazing day up on Mount Kenashi yesterday. In fact, it was a great day on the mountain and in the village. In keeping with the tradition of receiving far more than forecast, the top of the mountain received in excess of 60 centimetres from close Thursday. It continued to snow down in the village for most of the day too. “Magic March” sure got busy living up to its name! Today looks like it will mostly concern itself with sunshine and blue sky. What more could we ask for than a radiant bluebird day in March? Let’s try not to get too excited but there is more snow […]
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Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 8th of March 2019
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 8th of March 2019 Lots of people were up nice and early to claim their spot in the line this morning. A mammoth 40 centimetres fell upon the mountain between close yesterday and 8 am this morning. And it hasn’t stopped since! It’s still snowing heavily at the time of writing (9:30 am). Perhaps that’s why they call it “Magic March“. There are a million things we could say about spring skiing in light of the dump we’re experiencing but perhaps it’s best to just say “stay safe and enjoy”! Well, that and the fact that we have plenty of availability for the duration of the season. This current fall has already taken the base […]
Green Season Long-stay Nozawa Onsen, Japan
Long-stay Nozawa Onsen Spending a month in Nozawa Onsen over the Green Season is cheaper than renting at home! We all know how well Nozawa Onsen thrives during the winter. But during the offseason, the town and mountain revert to a traditional farming village. It creates the perfect retreat from the heat and hustle of the busier touristy areas. So too, does it provide a peaceful sanctuary to indulge creativity or self-reflection. Last Green Season, we had families take advantage of discounted rates on self-contained apartments, gathering to be together away from the world. We saw couples come stay in our lodges to mountain bike down green ski runs, paddle on Lake Hokuryuko and hike through farmland and cedar forests […]
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 7th of March 2019
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 7th of March 2019 15 centimetres overnight (at the top of the mountain)! Will we see some more Nozawa Onsen spring snow today? The current forecast seems to think so. But just don’t look out the window, see rain and become disheartened. The mountain is the place to be. By tonight, we should be seeing a fair amount of fresh white stuff in the village too. But for now, get to the top of the mountain! The forecasters are saying that we’ll see well into the double digits at the top of Mount Kenashi this afternoon and tonight. As those who’ve been up of late will know, there’s still a healthy base up there. Depending […]
2-Night Nozawa Onsen Mountain Escape to Experience the Famous Lantern Festival
Take a Nozawa Onsen Mountain Escape to Experience the Lantern Festival! Each year, on the 8th and 9th of September, Nozawa Onsen comes alive for the amazing Lantern Festival. Festivals are something that Nozawa Onsen village does well and while January’s Fire Festival may get all the hype due to coinciding with plenty of powder snow, September’s Lantern Festival is a bit of a favourite. Saturday, 8th During the early evening of Saturday 8th, Oyu Dori (Nozawa’s main street) springs to life with street vendors and a parade featuring drums, flute players, dancing and an age-old Japanese folk pantomime. Being the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, the performance is said to dispell evil in favour of good […]
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 6th of March 2019
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 6th of March 2019 What a day yesterday was for those who ventured up! While the lower slopes and village remained a little too warm, the same may not be said for up top. Fifteen centimetres of fresh spring snow awaited skiers and boarders yesterday morning. With a taste for it, everyone now wants to know if that was the entrée or the main course. It looks like it could merely be the entrée. Today’s shaping up to be another radiant spring day but tomorrow could bring us what we want. In fact, the current forecast suggests that will start this afternoon at the summit of Mount Kenashi. Throughout tomorrow, the forecasters say we’ll see handfuls […]
Nozawa Onsen Snow Report, 5th of March 2019
Nozawa Onsen Snow Report, 5th of March 2019 There’s really no other news to begin with beyond the fact we got a fresh 15 centimetres overnight. Those disheartened by the wet conditions at village level need only venture up higher to have their spirits lifted. It wasn’t quite cold enough in town for that rain to turn to snow (except briefly). But both the Uenotaira and Yamabiko areas were certainly cold enough, yesterday and overnight. It’s been a little while since we’ve had some new snowfall but now that it has arrived, it looks as though we’ll add to it in the days to come. The current cloud is set to clear for another sunny spring afternoon. Over the second […]
Nozawa Onsen Snow Report, 4th of March 2019
Nozawa Onsen Snow Report, 4th of March 2019 The forecast has definitely improved, even since yesterday. While it may be a little warm to snow at village level right now, we’re expecting more than a handful up top today. The current forecast suggests double digits tonight. That much and then some is currently expected to arrive Wednesday night and throughout Thursday. It might be difficult to believe with all the spring weather we’ve been seeing for past few weeks but it looks like winter is soon to make a welcome return (at least at the top of the mountain). This week may be an ordinary one at village level. The warmer temperatures may have us believe that the rain is […]
Skiing & Cherry Blossoms All in One Japan Holiday
Ski Cherry Blossom Japan Japan has long been the land of cherry blossoms but in recent years the country has made a name for itself for huge dumps of high quality snow. It’s not often that these two can coincide but with the release of the official cherry blossom forecast it looks like 2019 is the year where you can combine skiing and cherry blossom viewing in one holiday. When is cherry blossom season for 2019? This year cherry blossom season in Tokyo begins March 22, with the flowers hitting full bloom on March 29. Skiing and snowboarding could come before or after this as Nozawa traditionally remains open until Japan’s Golden Week in early May. Access from Tokyo With […]
Nozawa Onsen Snow Report, 3rd of March 2019
Nozawa Onsen Snow Report, 3rd of March 2019 The first thing we should probably consider doing is not getting too excited upon looking at the forecast for the coming week. Having said that, we’ve had a bit of a dry spell and it’s hard not to. As we have said many times before, the forecasters tend to over deliver. Ten centimetres often eventuates as twenty. So looking at the forecast, particularly on Monday night and throughout Thursday, it does look promising. However, with all things Mother Nature does, it may change before the time comes. We’ll have to just wait and see but for now, it certainly gives us hope of a spring dump! Spring skiing is favoured by many […]