Review of Nozawa Onsen and Villa Nozawa; Nagano, Japan

Nozawa Onsen is a wonderful village about 2 hours or so north of Nagano. With a history dating back over a thousand years Nozawa is one of Japan's oldest winter resort areas.

Dating back to the Edo period and named for the many hot springs found around the village, skiing was introduced to Nozawa Onsen around 1911. Renowned for it's wonderful snow conditions Nozawa Onsen averages around 10 meters of snow each season and hosted the biathalon in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano; the town itself has produced several Olympic skiers and will be celebrating the centennial of its' snow sport history in this 2011/12 season.

Access from Tokyo is quite easy via the Shinkansen (bullet train) or a shuttle service that runs about $130/per person each way. The shuttle is a longer trip, about five hours compared to about 3.5 with the bullet train/bus combo but turned out to be quite simple and convenient with an advance booking via Chuo Taxi. Additional travel info can be found here.

Villa Nozawa

This was my lodge for the entirety of my stay aside from some brief (inebriated) hours in a lodge called Mitsubishi Maya. Now I should state that on a snowboarding trip I am not looking for a 5 star luxury hotel; I am looking for a comfortable value where I can put my focus on the riding. Fortunately, Villa Nozawa is all that and more. I purchased their 'Live Like A Local' package which included a 10 night stay, 9 days of lift tickets and breakfast every morning. A last minute change to my plans to take a day off to see the snow monkeys at a preserve park in Nagano was handled with no problem and I was given credit for the day on the mountain back to my bill - I should note that this change was made the first morning of arrival before my lift pass was purchased from the mountain by the lodge. I received an 8 day pass that could by used any day of my stay with one day punched on the pass in exchange for a lift ticket. The monkey park tour is also handled by the villa staff and was a breeze to schedule.

The Villa itself is a four story building with virtually all the rooms providing a view overlooking the breathtaking valley. Each floor has a co-joined mens' and womens' bathroom seperated by a common sink area. Mens' and womens' shower facilities are downstairs although oftentimes people choose to hit up the local onsen for cleaning and relaxing after a day riding/skiing. The rooms are beautiful in their simplicity; tatami floors and futons and a small balcony area. Downstairs is a large common area for breakfast and socializing, two vending machines and a small room with TV, DVD player and other games and entertainment. The common room also has water, coffee and tea available all day. Unlimited Wi-Fi is also available for a nominal fee (about $10 I recall).

If you don't speak Japanese then the English speaking staff is a blessing. The owner Mark and all of his staff are wonderfully helpful and accommodating; it seemed like most of the guests were Australian so there was plenty of conversation to be had. The Villa has a very dormitory, community like feel to it; great for families and meeting new people happens naturally thru breakfast in the common area and seeing each other quite a bit in the cozy confines of the building.

Villa Nozawa also features a drying room downstairs for all your gear and clothing and an equipment rental center.

My stay at Villa Nozawa could not have been better. The owner, Mark, also has three other locations in town Lodge Nagano, Nozawa House, and Nozawa Cottage. Although I have not stayed there I would not hesitate to recommend any of Mark's properties if my stay at Villa Nozawa is any indication.

Now on to the town itself which is nothing short of magical. While certainly modern in many ways the heritage of the 1400 year old village is everywhere to been seen and felt. Some of the shrines and onsens are as old as the town itself while the buildings stand with odd angles, closely built and the streets wind, rise and fall due to the hilly layout. Cash is a must as I didn't see any places that accepted credit cards although there is an ATM in town at the post office - just check with your bank before you go.

And the onsens, oh the onsens. Blissful after a long day there are several free and pay-per-use onsens throughout the town with one conveniently located behind Villa Nozawa. An onsen is basically a bath full of mineral rich, volcanically heated water. One doesn't actually wash in the onsen, that is done prior to entering. An important note or two: there is a definitive etiquette for onsen use; be sure to know it before venturing in. Be ready for HOT water and being naked with other people. You'll come out feeling like a million dollars, ready for another day of shredding Mt. Kenashi - just bundle up for the walk back.

Restaurants are plentiful, varied and modestly priced.  Everything from a place where the menu was essentially two things - yakitori and sake, to a luxury restaurant that is reservation only.  I managed to hit a different place for dinner every night with plenty of options to spare.  Standouts were an amazing okonomiyaki place (a kind of Japanese vegetable pancake) and some of the best chirashi sushi I've ever had.  If you need an Italian fix a place called Pasta Di Pasta right off the main street was excellent.  I grabbed lunch at one of the 31 restaurants on the mountain every day including tantanmen, pasta, pizza, and soba.  A Nozawa specialty called nozawana, a kind of pickled veggie, are a part of many meals and absolutely delicious.  The Nagano region is also famous for their apples and for good reason; something about the nutrient rich volcanic soil produces fantastic fruit and vegetables.  Definitely going to try to bring some apples back on my next trip in February.  Nightlife is far from rowdy but there are several quaint bars with plenty of character (and karaoke) to be found.  The Stay Bar on the main street was my favorite - just watch it if you're offered a Flying Aaron, it'll hurt you in the morning.

 The mountain itself is wonderfully varied, although the purported 30% beginner, 40% intermediate, 30% expert is a bit of misnomer.  The beginner trails are generally quite flat and the intermediate is much closer to expert - you'll also see intermediate trails leading right into expert trails with no other option.  The plus side of this is when the pow drops even the steepest trails are manageable and chances are you'll see plenty of it if you go during the peak Jan/Feb time frame.  Add to that very loose rules on off-piste exploration and it's a dream come true.  Some friends and I took a run off the back, non resort side and it was just amazing.  Just be careful, don't go alone, and know your safety precautions as the ski patrol doesn't go back there.  My only real gripe would be that the layout is somewhat unintuitive; the mountain range is actually a horseshoe shape and that does not come through on the trail maps so the first few days I found myself lost several times until I got my bearings.  After that I was getting lost on purpose, finding powder stashes between trails and generally having the time of my life.

Overall Nozawa Onsen is one of the most unique places on the globe.  I'll be returning in February and staying again at Villa Nozawa.  I highly recommend a visit - a trip you'll never forget.

Check out some videos from the trip here.