In what prefecture is Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort located?

Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort is located in Nozawa Onsen Village, Nagano Prefecture. Nagano Prefecture became famous around the world after the Nagano Winter Olympics were held in 1998. The beauty of the powder snow that Olympic athletes ski on remains unchanged to this day.

Nozawa Onsen is located in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture and is the only village in Japan with the word "onsen" (hot spring). Before the impact of COVID-19, the village had 140,000 foreign tourists visiting in just one year, compared to the 3,000 people living in the village.

Many visitors to this ski resort enjoy touring the outdoor baths. Outdoor baths are baths located outside accommodation facilities that anyone can use. The outdoor baths have been managed by the people who live in Nozawa Onsen Village since the Edo period, and are always maintained as natural hot springs with a fresh scent, color, and texture.

The outdoor baths are used daily by the residents of Nozawa Onsen Village, so you can experience interacting with the warm-hearted local villagers. When bathing, please be aware that the locals are responsible for paying the electricity and water bills, as well as cleaning the baths.

Some inns have foot baths where you can bathe only from the knees down in the hot spring water, which anyone can use for free. Onsen eggs are boiled eggs with soft-boiled yolks, and anyone can make and eat them at their own convenience in hot springs that are dedicated to making them. These eggs are a specialty of famous hot spring areas all over Japan.

Why is Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort so popular?

Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort is a ski resort that attracts many people from overseas. When you ask repeat visitors from overseas about the appeal of Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort, many of them answer, "You can enjoy the Japanese atmosphere more than at other ski resorts."

At Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort, you can not only enjoy skiing, but also Japanese culture and an atmosphere that can only be found in Japan. There are several famous hot spring towns in Japan, but there is no other hot spring town where you can walk to a powder snow ski resort.

Nozawa Onsen Village has also expanded its accommodation facilities to provide a Japanese-style environment for foreign visitors. As a result, many foreign tourists who come to the village mainly for skiing stay for five nights or more.

The best season for skiing on the best quality snow at this ski resort is from December to February of the following year. Located at the foot of the mountain at an altitude of 1,650 meters, skiers visit for a long period of six months starting from late November. The coldest months are January and February, when there are days when the snow piles up to more than 2 meters.

Furthermore, more and more facilities now have signs in English to make it easier for foreign tourists to spend their time here. It's also easy to find ATMs that accept cards not issued in Japan. Japan Free Wi-Fi is widely available for foreign tourists to use, so you can upload videos and photos to social media while on the mountain at a ski resort.

Iiyama City, which has the nearest station to Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort, runs a YouTube channel called "COME DISCOVER IIYAMA," where foreigners living in the city share their recommended local culture and restaurants.

Recommended courses at Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort

Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort is one of Japan's largest snow resorts, with 297 hectares of courses and the longest run of 10,000 meters. There are 44 diverse courses that will satisfy everyone, from children with no skiing experience to professional advanced skiers.

For skiers who want to ski surrounded by nature, we recommend the Yamabiko Slope. This is the highest slope in the resort, and no matter when you visit you can ski on the best quality snow, which can sometimes pile up to more than five meters.

Every year, skiers from all over the world visit this course, which has a high chance of skiing on powder snow. The run is 1,300 meters long, and on a clear day, you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Sea of Japan, which is unique to Japan. At the rest house, you can eat garlic steak rice made with Nozawana, a specialty of Nozawa Onsen.

For beginners who want to ski at a leisurely pace, we recommend the Ueno Taira slope. The courses are wide and have many gentle slopes, so even if you're not confident skiing from high up, you can ski with confidence.

At Kaminotaira slope, there is a rest house with soft sofa seats, so you can relax and unwind. The popular dish at this rest house is the pork cutlet curry, which originated in Japan and is very filling. You can also buy goggles and wax.

Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort is also popular as a place for small children to make their skiing debut. At Hikage Slope, there is a space where children can safely play in the snow and sled, as well as a space for breastfeeding and changing diapers, which can be used free of charge.

This slope can be reached easily, even by children, for free, via a flat escalator up to Nozawa Onsen. There are also plenty of rest houses. You can order a salmon bowl that can only be eaten in Nagano Prefecture, an organic hamburger and craft beer, or just take a break with a soft serve ice cream. This is a slope where you can spend your time freely.

In total, there are 44 different courses, well-balanced for beginners to advanced skiers, and you can enjoy a long period from late November to late May of the following year. If you are particular about the quality of the snow, the best powder snow is in the three months from December to February of the following year.

Access methods

Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort became much more accessible in March 2015 when the Hokuriku Shinkansen opened and the nearest station, Iiyama Station, was built. From Tokyo Station, it takes 1 hour and 40 minutes on the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Iiyama Station, then another hour on the JR Iiyama Line from Nagano Station on the Asama or Kagayaki Shinkansen.

"Asama" runs between Tokyo Station and Nagano Station, and "Kagayaki" runs between Tokyo Station and Kanazawa Station and Tsuruga Station. "Asama" has unreserved seats. Free Wi-Fi service is available on both trains, and power outlets in the seats are free to use.

There is a bus that goes to Nozawa Onsen Village from Iiyama Station. It is available from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, but there are times when it does not operate for more than an hour, so it is best to check the timetable. There is also a free shuttle bus from Nozawa Onsen Village to Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort.

From Nagoya Station, take the JR Chuo Shinonoi Line, get off at Nagano Station, then take a direct bus for about 75 minutes. From Osaka, take the Thunderbird Express from Shin-Osaka Station to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture, then take the Shinkansen to Iiyama Station. From there, take the JR Iiyama Line to Togari-Nozawa Onsen Station, then take a taxi for about 20 minutes.

Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort has a parking lot, but large vehicles cannot be accommodated. Also, staying overnight in your car is prohibited.

summary

Nozawa Onsen has a ski resort where you can enjoy active skiing while experiencing the Japanese atmosphere. It caters to everyone from parents and children to professional skiers, and you can ski from November to May of the following year. There is also a wide range of food on the slopes, so you are sure to have a great time!

There are also plenty of events, so you may want to visit multiple times in one season.