TRIP TO OBUSE NOZAWA Paradise, not just a slope in Nozawa We have had some beautiful sun filled days this week in Nozawa Onsen. The weather has been glorious, we still have awesome snow coverage across the mountain, and there have been less crowds, making it much easier to snag a table at your favourite restaurant. The slopes have been fast and fun, with the groomers leaving us fresh corduroy every morning. We have clear skies and sunshine on the menu again for today. Temperatures will be spring like again with warmer temperatures. A max of 5 degrees on top of the mountain and a max of 14 degrees in the village. Winds are light and variable from the SW, […]
spring
Day Trips from Nozawa Onsen: OBUSE
Whether you’re a skier, snowboarder, or non-snow-person in Nozawa Onsen, taking a day trip to Obuse is well worth your time! Home to the Hokusai-kan Museum, Kozan Takai Memorial Museum, Nihonnoakari Museum (Japanese Lantern Museum), groves of grape and apple trees and famed for the perfect acidic soil to grow delicious chestnuts, you will be overwhelmed with things to do. Follow me along on my day trip to Obuse! Getting to Obuse from Nozawa Onsen Starting the day early, we caught the Nozawa Onsen Liner at 08:20 for just ￥600 each to Iiyama. A brief 25 minute ride later, we arrived at the newly constructed Iiyama Train Station. Instead of taking a local train or Shinkansen, we caught a connecting […]
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report 29/4/2019
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 29th of April 2019 This Nozawa Onsen spring keeps on giving. The resort is reporting a couple of centimetres overnight to go with what we awoke to yesterday. It really is amazing how much snow we have been blessed with during the month of April. What it all means is that there is still a very healthy base up top. There are only a few days left in the ski season before it’s the Green Season‘s turn. It tends to surprise people that we have such a long season here in Nozawa Onsen but it’s probably fair to say that everyone has been surprised by April’s snowfall. Coinciding with Japan’s Golden Week celebrations, it truly […]
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report 28/4/2019
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report 28/4/2019 Nozawa Onsen spring snow is not something we’d expect this late in the season. But we’ll certainly take it! We saw in excess of 10 centimetres fall yesterday. At last count, around midday, it was 11cm before the afternoon brought even more. Another few centimetres fell upon the top of Mount Kenashi last night. All in all, fantastic news for skiers in Nozawa Onsen and a great way to kick off this year’s Golden Week. The sun is out already and there are a few more people rolling into town already. Golden Week combined with fresh snow will certainly make for a vibrant atmosphere. With the temperatures now climbing, it creates the unique opportunity […]
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report 27/4/2019
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 27th of April 2019 It’s probably a little hard to believe after reading the date above but we got some fresh snow overnight. It fell as rain at village level but up on the mountain, a respectable 6 centimetres. There’s even better news. The forecast suggests it will continue throughout the day before giving way to more bright sunshiny days like the one pictured above. This image was taken just a few short days ago. So imagine this scene with a new 6-centimetre layer. For the rest of this year’s special Golden Week, it looks as though temperatures will either be too dry or too warm to bring more snow. So we’re probably looking at […]
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report 21/4/2019
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 21st of April 2019 While we’re still here enjoying some very decent spring skiing, it’s worth considering what else is on offer. Nozawa Onsen spring is beautiful in its own right. However, it also provides a great base from which to explore the area. Many of our guests tend to use spring to take day trips to places like Kanazawa, Nagano city, Togakushi, Joestu (pictured), Matsumoto, and others. Of course, those same places also exist during the Green Season. One of the great treasures of Japan is its distinct changing of the seasons. What was once caked in metres of white springs to life in vibrant green during the warmer months. Snow melts to open […]
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report 13/4/2019
Clouds yesterday but it looks like only sunshine today. Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 13th of April 2019 Yesterday didn’t feel too much like spring skiing. In fact, that may be said of most of April, so far. It’s been a continuously wintery affair, whether that be the huge amount of snowfall or simply the cold temperatures. As it stands right now, the forecast says those temperatures will lift a little today. However, it also says tomorrow night may bring more of the white good stuff to the top of Mount Kenashi. Maybe. So let’s bask in the sunshine today, while it lasts. If you miss a Saturday slide, the sunshine should return on Monday. In fact, we’ve got to […]
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report 12/4/2019
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report 12/4/2019 April has been so kind to us, thus far. But will our luck continue? I guess it depends upon what you’re after. It sounds strange to say but we’ve had so much snow this month that it might even be nice to string a few days of sunshine together. But hey, if Mother Nature wants to throw some more late season snow at us, we won’t be complaining. It looks like she’s got us covered for both. Maybe. Today is forecast to remain cold but it’s doubtful we’ll see too much snow as a result but perhaps a little. Tomorrow is all about the sunshine. The same goes for the first few days of […]
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report 9/4/2019
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 9th of April 2019 This April has been very kind to us. The first couple of days brought us 20 centimetres each and then it got crazier from there for the third and fourth days. After a little bit of respite to enjoy the view, we’ve awoken to yet more Nozawa Onsen spring snow today. Temperatures look like they might stay pretty low over the next few days. Tomorrow looks like it might even bring us more snow. And here’s us thinking it was April. Many other ski resorts have packed up and gone home and here’s us, still spring skiing and still receiving plenty of spring snow. Literally. It’s snowing lightly right now, as […]
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report 8/4/2019
Nozawa Onsen Spring Snow Report, 8th of April 2019 The clouds have well and truly rolled in today. It’s misty and ominous looking around town and on the mountain. According to the forecast for tonight, that could mean a whole heap of new white stuff for the top of Mount Kenashi. Well into the double-digits is forecast for the summit. Temperatures may prevent rain from turning to snow down in the village so don’t let conditions fool you upon waking up. It’s difficult to predict exactly what will happen a day out but if temperatures should happen to drop, who knows? Either way, it looks as though the top of the mountain is the place to be, as it so […]