nozawa onsen skiing

Another dusting of snow for the top of Nozawa last night  Checking the web Cams this morning and looking nice and white up the very top at Yamabiko! Beautiful to see, can check out the web cams here; https://nozawa-onsen.com/nozawa-webcams/ Last time we got a dump a few days ago a few of the local boys took to the slopes and had a bit of fun.  Wonder if anyone will head up today? There is a saying in Nozawa that on the 3rd time it snows it stays.  The forecast is showing another cold front and some snow arriving tomorrow night with cold temps, so could this be a keeper? Will be interesting to see what we get. The longer range […]

Nozawa Onsen Transforming to Winter Two great shots taken almost exactly 7 years apart of the village of Nozawa Onsen in November. It is always an amazing feeling when you drive around that bend and see the village with the majestic slopes rising up behind it. Even after doing it for 30 years it never grows old for me. It is a feeling of excitement, a wonder of nature and home. Made even better with a fresh coating of snow on top! Nozawa Onsen Transforming to Winter The top photo from November 2012 looks like we probably got 30cm up top overnight. We opened the resort a few days later on the 1st of December 2012 with a 60cm base […]

  Here is your Nozawa Snow Update:  The results of yesterday’s snow are above, fingers crossed for more to come soon! Forecasts have freezing temperatures for the next couple days. While it won’t be enough to open the resort on the 23rd, we are all getting excited for the season to start soon. December 15 marks the day of the opening festival. It includes a complimentary bowl of nabe ( Japanese hot pot) and a hot cup of sake! Nozawa Ski Resort has great events that go on through out the season. They have Christmas festivities and New Years fireworks as well as the Lantern Festival in March. Nozawa Onsen has a lot to offer any time of the year […]

  First Tracks of this winter have been made in Nozawa Once again local skier Shogo Kawano was first to slide on the white gold this winter You will need to be up pretty early to beat him to first tracks each season In what was marginal conditions yesterday morning he took to the upper mountain slopes very early, danced, slid and celebrated. Shogo san arigatou for the entertainment, let it snow… Video by Shogo Kawano 

Snovember has started in Nozawa! The first snow falls for Japan have been recorded around the country and yesterday was our turn with the first lovely blanket of white gracing Mt Kenashi. Just a dusting but always looks pretty and an encouraging sign that Winter is on its way!Has been getting cold in town the last few days and the Fire is on. Good news is the mid range forecast is now showing a cold front and some decent snowfalls forecast for late next week. Will it be enough to open the resort on the 23rd of November? It can change a lot between now and then but always nice to see those snow figures on the charts. Winter is […]

Flashback Friday from Nozawa Onsen – History Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort  Nozawa Ski Resort has a long and colourful or should I say Black and White History, spanning over 100 years.  This is a great shot from back in the 60s I am guessing. Check out the single Pizza box chair lift and notice the powder is untouched on the slope below. You would not see that much after about 10am these days!  We still had a few of those old chairs in the early 90’s when I was first Ski Patrol in Nozawa the one running up Mukobayashi slope next to the Ski Jump was particularly fun.  Can anyone guess which slope or lift this is? Hint check out the […]

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 […]