Onsen Etiquette Nozawa Village
The mountains today are shrouded in a thick white coating of mist and it’s softly raining in Nozawa Onsen. I saw a rainbow outside of my window this morning. The below-freezing temperatures up top should result in around 10cm of snow today! In the meantime, let’s talk about Onsen etiquette in Nozawa Village. There are 13 free traditional Onsens, formed from natural hot springs.
An Onsen, aka. the Japanese version of a hot tub or spa pool is the perfect place to relax each day and defrost from the cold, while we eagerly await the season’s start.
Trying out an Onsen for the first time can be an intimidating experience. There are a few rules and etiquette you should follow to be respectful and get the most out of your hot spring encounters.
- No swimsuits, no sandals! You go naked. All you need to bring is a towel and some soap.
- Take your shoes off before entering the changing area.
- Be clean. Before entering the Onsen, sit around the outside and wash with a bucket of the Onsen water. Make sure the used water runs into the nearby drains, not back into the Onsen itself. And be careful not to splash others.
- No running or swimming. An Onsen is for relaxing.
- Be respectful of others and say hello and goodbye to the other Onsen users.
- Please do not bring glass into the Onsen and go before hitting the local bars.
- If you have long hair, clip it up before entering the Onsen. You’re allowed to wash your hair outside the Onsen though.
Nozawa’s Onsens are tattoo-friendly.
Get to know your favourite Onsens so Après ski you can hit the heat straight after your last run, relaxing the muscles in preparation for another day of powder skiing.
At the moment, Tuesday is looking to deliver another 14cm of fresh snow. Fingers crossed the forecast holds.