Lost and Found Nozawa Buried Treasure in Nozawa Hiking in the mountains around Nozawa in Spring is amazing and you can find all sorts of surprises mainly in the nature with flowers, trees and a wide array of plants coming to life. Beneath the meters of snow there can also be some other treasures waiting to be found. In the early 90’s in the Nozawa Ski Patrol we even had a name for it “Keri” and back in the Japan boom times we used to find all sorts of riches. Money, Zippo Lighters, and lots of odd skis even the occasional set that people had just given up on. When it dumps in Nozawa we sometimes get up to 1 […]
Nozawa Onsen Summer
Spring Time Nozawa Japan
Spring Time Nozawa Japan The Four Seasons of Japan still continue to blow me away. So distinct, so different and so defined. Like Japanese Trains they really run like clockwork. If tomorrow is the official start of spring then more often than not things will start to change from tomorrow. Both the landscape and the people’s mind set, it is quite miraculous to observe. I am not sure I have a favourite Season in Japan all are beautiful in their own way and all have benefits and novelties that are amazing to experience. Spring Time Nozawa Japan Four Seasons of Japan Winter – well for most that’s an easy one with the snow and the skiing. The landscapes are amazing […]
Ski Japan 2021
Ski Japan 2021 Kodomo no Hi or Children’s day today in Japan Kids Day is a Japanese national holiday which takes place annually on May 5 and is the final celebration of the Golden Week holidays. It is a day set aside to respect kids individual personalities and to celebrate their happiness. It was designated a national holiday by the Japanese government in 1948, however it has been a day of celebration in Japan since ancient times. They put up the flying carp (Koi Nobori) because legend had it that a carp that swims upstream becomes a dragon and flies to Heaven so basically that kids will grow strong and lead good lives. Every year my elderly neighbour puts up […]
Ski Japan May
Ski Japan May Ski Japan in May. Skyline course in Nozawa now in May and in the second shot from March. Still looks like you could take a slide down it! This year ofcourse our season was cut short by the dreaded Rona Virus but most years the ski Resort is open until May the 6th the end of the Golden Week holiday. The snow is totally spring skiing as can be expected but if you are looking for somewhere cool to open Golden week or early May in Japan then Nozawa is a great choice as you can still get a few turns in and there are so many other cool things to do. Ski Japan May May Activities in Nozawa Onsen Japan Check out the Sakura or […]
Australia First Gondola Thredbo
https://www.facebook.com/nozawaonsenjapan/videos/654256875412885/?t=2 Australia First Gondola Thredbo Southern Exposure Our friends down in Australia have just hit a cold snap and it is snowing across many of the resorts there this morning. This video just in from Thredbo Resort where they are expecting up to 60cm of fresh snow over the next week! Good to see early on and we hope they will manage to open this season with the current situation and have a terrific season ahead. Thredbo also installing the first Gondola ever in Australia which we look forward to seeing. Because our new Gondola coming in Nozawa for next season too. Here is a bit more info on the new Nagasaka Gondola in Nozawa if interested. New Nagasaka […]
Population Nozawa Onsen Village
Population Nozawa Onsen Village Nozawa from a different angle today. All very quiet and peaceful about town with no visitors at all at the moment. Who knows the population of Nozawa Onsen? Have a guess! OK give up? The Official population as at 1st of April 2020 was 3590 people. That should include all the new babies that have been born this year too and there has been a few 🙂 When I first arrived in Nozawa 30 years ago the population was 5500 people so quite a drop of 2000 people in 30 years or just over 35%. The reason being like most of Rural Japan, Nozawa has an ageing population. Even though the people of Nagano prefecture are […]
Sushi Nozawa Onsen Japan
Sushi Nozawa Onsen Japan Masa san has been working in Nozawa for a few years now and is the main Sushi maker for the Mt Dock Gondola Cafe located just below the main Nagasaka Gondola in Nozawa, Here are a few details for you on the art of Sushi Making. In the Western world, rolled sushi is generically called ‘sushi roll’. But in Japan, they have individual names depending on the types of sushi rolls. Firstly, there are different names based on the thickness of the roll. Futomaki (太巻き) – thick (太) rolls (巻き) which are about 5cm in diameter and served as a long stick (about 10cm long) or sliced into 2.5cm thick pieces. Hosomaki (細巻き) – thin (細) […]
Cherry Blossoms Nozawa Japan
Cherry Blossoms Nozawa Japan Cherry Blossoms starting to bloom Even though there is still snow up top on the slopes down in the valleys Spring is starting to blossom. The beautiful Cherry Blossoms or Sakura as they are called in Japanese are starting to come out in many areas. Nearby Takada Castle and park in Joetsu close to the Japanese Sea is reaching full bloom now and is an amazing place to see this natural wonder. Won’t be long until Iiyama and even Nozawa start to see the gorgeous white petals grace the landscape. The springtime bloom is an amazing spectacle but remarkably brief; after only two weeks, they drop to the ground a bit like snow and wither into […]
April Snow Holiday Japan
April Snow Holiday Japan Almost a winters day in April for Nozawa. 5cm of fresh snow reported overnight and -2 degrees up top. No T- Shirts today. Early April is always an interesting time in Nozawa as Spring is doing its best to come out and Winter keeps knocking it on the head with days like today. It was cold up there today and with the fresh dusting we got the snow conditions were terrific. Cold and fast on the groomers and even a bit of fun in the layer of powder on the sides. April Snow Holiday Japan Even though it was a Sunday it was very quiet up there. Not completely dead like the weekdays but just enough […]
Tokyo Snow Cherry Blossoms
Tokyo Snow Cherry Blossoms Snokyo, while we were busy enjoying the fresh snow in the mountains of Nagano the capital Tokyo got a dusting of its own. Just a few centimetres but for Tokyo and at this time of year it is kind of a big deal as does not happen very often. 📷 @acchi_kocchi arigatou While Tokyo got a rare arctic blast it was also in the middle of its Sakura or Cherry Blossom Season. Seems Mother Nature is grappling with making the switch from Winter to Spring. The combination of snow flakes and sakura petals makes for some beautiful scenery, this shot from Yamanashi just next door to Tokyo prefecture. 📷 @sshimpei arigatou