Nozawa Onsen Snow Report 18th December 2018 Waking up to Winter in Nozawa! Just as the weather person promised us yesterday, we awoke to some fresh white stuff today. There has to be about 10 centimetres new snow in the village and double that up on the mountain. The even better news is that as we sit here and look out the window, it continues to fall quite steadily. It looks as though we’re in for a superb day on the mountain today, folks! Temp at top; – 4 Degrees New Snow Since Close; 20cmBase at Top; 80cm Weather; Snowing (8:40am) Slopes open today in Nozawa;Yamabiko A course (Intermediate)Yamabiko B course (Intermediate)Yamabiko C course (Intermediate)Yamabiko D course (Intermediate)Yamabiko E course […]
Nozawa Onsen
Nozawa Onsen Snow Report 17th December 2018
Nozawa Onsen Snow Report 17th December 2018 December Days in Nozawa Onsen! Although we didn’t have any snowfall yesterday it was still a glorious day on the mountain, as these images prove. It’s difficult to believe that about a week and a half ago we were still waiting for the first snow to fall. Cut forward to today and most of the mountain is open. With promising signs on the forecast to come, we could see all runs open very soon! There are double-digit falls set to come overnight while Tuesday and Wednesday should bring some snow too. So, good signs ahead, that’s for sure! Today? Temp at top; – 4 Degrees New Snow Since Close; 0cmBase at Top; 65cm […]
Nozawa Onsen Snow Report 16th December 2018
Nozawa Onsen Snow Report 16th December 2018 Much more where that came from! We’ve been blessed over the past few days. Having endured a slightly slow start to the ski season, we’re catching up fast! Forecasts of late have been underselling the amount of snow we’ve actually received. While the snow shovelers might get something of a respite today, the forecast for the coming week suggests we should be keeping those shovels handy. Beyond today, there’s a bit on the radar for tomorrow and Tuesday, before another sizeable dump on Wednesday. As we all know, these things can change and there’s as good of a chance as ever that we will see it sooner! Temp at top; – 4 Degrees […]
Nozawa Onsen Snow Report 13th December 2018
Nozawa Onsen Snow 13/12/18 This morning we awoke to a few centimetres in the village and a fair bit more up on top of the mountain. Around fifteen centimetres fell upon the top runs overnight. All things considered, it looks like pretty good conditions yesterday, especially after having a bit of rain yesterday. There’ll be colder temperatures today and beyond. Temps are set to drop well into the minuses up top over the next few days, bringing some fresh snow with them. The extended forecast suggests that we can expect more over the next few days and that by early next week, we’ll see some heavier stuff. Surely good news for those coming to Nozawa soon. Slopes open today in […]
Ski-in/Ski-out Accommodation in Nozawa Onsen
Ski-in/Ski-out Accommodation in Nozawa Onsen Nozawa Cottage is set directly across the road from the slopes and is unique in more ways than one. Nagasaka Gondola is only 150 metres away from this ski-in/ski-out self-contained property, so that means more time skiing and less time getting to the runs. Having been recently renovated, the contemporary feel is given a twist by the building’s individual triangular layout. Guests can kick back in the living room and look across to see skiers navigating one of the mountain’s steepest runs. Likewise, you might also catch ski jumpers on the Olympic Jump Course. Comfortable For 6, But Can Sleep Up To 8 There are two main bedrooms plus two small sleeping areas: Bunks sleeping […]
5 Easy But Awesome Day Trips from Nozawa Onsen
Day Trips from Nozawa Onsen A lengthy skiing holiday in Nozawa Onsen holds plenty of things to do. Mostly ski! However, day trips from Nozawa Onsen can really break things up quite well. Likewise, visiting during the quieter, warmer months means it’s a bit easier to hit the road (less stress of driving on the snowy roads, fewer people around, etc.). Over this past Green Season, many of our guests spoke of using Nozawa Onsen as a break between the mad tourism of the bigger areas. Hiking, biking, yoga and even summer skiing and just generally hanging out with the family beneath the green mountains, have all kept smiles on faces. Turning to winter and I don’t think we need […]
Nozawa Onsen Summer v Winter; a Comparison
Nozawa Onsen Summer v Winter There’s a really good chance most of us are here reading this post because we like seeing what our favourite little ski town looks like when it’s green. With that in mind, we don’t have to point out that Nozawa Onsen is among the best powder destinations you could ever hope to find. Nor do we really have to mention how unique it is to find a traditional Japanese town and free public onsens at the base of the mountain. Given that we already know about winter, how does the Green Season compare? Hitting the Slopes Of course, the slopes are still there but they tend to turn into one of two things; farming land […]
Backpacker-Style Nozawa Onsen
Backpacker-Style Nozawa Onsen Winter v Summer #nozawawintervsummer Winter in Nozawa Onsen is a different beast to the Green Season. During winter, Nozawa hosts skiers and boarders in search of some of the world’s finest powder snow. The kicker is what makes the village unique. Unlike many ski resort towns which pretty much only exist for winter sports, Nozawa has long been a destination worth visiting across all seasons. The Onsen in “Nozawa Onsen” Japanese people have been visiting for literally centuries. The healing and relaxing hot spring waters of the onsens is what they’ve come in search of. Today, the village’s 13 public onsens remain free to use to visitors and locals alike. This is quite unique among other onsen […]
Onsens and Tattoos; Yes or no?
Onsens and tattoos; yes or no? Onsens (or thermal springs) are a cornerstone of Japanese culture. However, you’re carrying a little ink and you want to know whether onsens and tattoos are a good mix. Well, the answer is both yes and no. It largely depends on where you’re visiting in Japan. The Japanese Perspective Japanese and western views on tattoos differ considerably. In the west, tattoos are linked to art and expressions of individuality. In Japan, associations to criminal activities are more likely. This is a stigma borne from Japan’s criminal underworld. The main bearers of ink being gang members. Particularly the Yakuza. This generally doesn’t cause a problem in daily life. However, in a situation where clothing isn’t […]
Mountain Day in Nozawa Onsen
What is Mountain Day? August 11 is Mountain Day; Japan’s newest public holiday. Many say that because Japanese workers often don’t get to take their full allotment of annual leave, the government throws a few extra public holidays their way. Most will tell you this is to stimulate the economy a little. Some might even suggest it’s to get people to stay home and work on growing the country’s flagging population. Other people just love mountains. We love mountains. One in particular. Made a legal thing in 2014 and then eventually put into action for the first time in 2016, Mountain Day is officially about providing people with “opportunities to get familiar with mountains and appreciate blessings from mountains”. Where […]