At its best in the winter months, Nozawa Onsen is a skier’s paradise in the Nagano region just two hours from Tokyo. The skiing experience is at least as rewarding as anywhere in the world where the tradition is long and alive.
Nozawa has managed to retain the charm of a small village. It is famous for its hot water springs, spa rituals and food specialities. Staying at a traditional ryokan ensures you are handed a kimono which is a standard outfit for visits to any of the 13 free public spa baths – onsens, scattered around the resort. The bubbling hot springs are everywhere, luring tourists who soak their feet after a day of skiing and allowing locals to perform daily tasks like boiling eggs or blanching vegetables. Evening meals are either high-art food feasts at the ryokans, unassuming adventures at local eateries alongside regular patrons or steamed Nozawana buns sold on street corners straight from bamboo steamers.
Just an hour’s drive from Nozawa is the mystical reserve of snow monkeys where the animals still live in the wild. Those lucky enough soak in the hot springs, others shiver and huddle together in freezing outdoor temperatures. Snow falls relentlessly, covering the monkeys with white, fairy flakes…
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