Hokuryu Lake During the busy Nozawa winter ski season it’s hard to conceive of a world beyond the mountain. However, there are other treasures around presenting themselves during the Green Season. One such treasure is Hokuryu Lake. A relative stone’s throw from the village is a beautiful big lake filled with spring water and melted snow. It’s a great opportunity for a paddle or a hike through the surrounding forest. So too is it the perfect place to kick back and read a book or enjoy a drink. For the romantics, from above the lake resembles something of a heart shape and there’s pedal-boats built for two! The walk around the lake is a small journey of discovery. Aside from […]
summer
Nozawa Onsen’s Summer “Baby Bamboo Festival”
Baby Bamboo Festival While January’s Fire Festival may lay claim to being Nozawa Onsen’s most popular and well-known festival, it certainly isn’t the only one! June’s Take no Ko Matsuri or “Baby Bamboo Festival” is a fun festival to witness. It goes for over a week and brings a night market vibe to the centre of town. This year, the festival runs from the 8th to the 17th of June. Being held in during the warmer months outside the ski season, it’s not as busy as the Fire Festival. It also means that it’s the perfect time to sit outside and soak up the atmosphere with a cold beer (or two) and a tasty BBQ bamboo stick! This particular festival […]
Gyoza Cooking and Calligraphy at Kaiya Nozawa
Gyoza Cooking and Calligraphy at Kaiya Nozawa Kaiya Nozawa is open during the 2018 Green Season. We have some great package deals and we’re excited to host some unique experiences! Akiko Sensei will be running both gyoza cooking and calligraphy classes for those who want to take a uniquely Japanese skill home with them. Gyoza Cooking Classes Who can say that they don’t enjoy gyoza? I don’t see any hands up… Although yaki-gyoza (the fried kind as opposed to boiled; sui-gyoza) typically contains pork as well as vegetables, they certainly can be made vegetarian. Yaki-gyoza is the most popular way to cook and eat gyoza in Japan. It may seem simple enough but those who’ve tackled the challenge without the […]
Summer Package Deals, Nozawa Onsen, Japan
Summer Package Deals, Nozawa Onsen Japan Most people visiting Japan will head to the big names like Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and maybe even Takayama. These are amazing destinations, for sure, but how about getting off the beaten track and exploring a beautiful, rural Japanese onsen village like Nozawa Onsen? Easily accessible from Tokyo using your Japan Rail Pass. Only 2 hours by bullet train and yet it’s a world away from the hustle and bustle of the big city lights of the world’s largest metropolitan area. It’s surprisingly easy to get to this traditional farming village. Here’s how; Getting to Nozawa Onsen, Japan. Nozawa, famous for its amazing powder snow and skiing from December to April. However, the “Green Season” […]
April Heating Up in Nozawa
April Heating Up in Nozawa There’s been some really mixed bag weather of late in Nozawa Onsen. It brought us some rain, shine and a handful of snow. Today, however, there can be no doubt as for what’s in store! Thursday 19th of April 2018 Temp at Top: 13 degrees Weather: Sunny Base at top: 145cm Base at Uenotaira station: 50cm New snow since close: 0 cm This time yesterday it was a little gloomy and the rain had many of us in town looking for a different way to pass the time. Of course, many of us found an onsen, restaurant, bar, or even a quick trip for some fun at Round 1 in Nagano. Those who did go […]