Skiing in Nozawa Onsen

Nozawa Onsen is a quaint, traditional Japanese village with only 5000 permanent residents is located at the base of Mt. Kenashi-yama. It is famous (as its name suggests) for its mineral hot spring onsens. This quiet village becomes a bustling ski and snowboarder’s destination once the snow arrives in late November or early December.

Skiing was first introduced here in 1911 by Major Thedor von Lerch an Austrian ski enthusiast. The ski resort opened in 1924. It was the first ski resort in Japan to install ski lifts and most recently served as the host for the Biathlon competition at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Nozawa Onsen resort boasts over fifty kilometers of trails or pistes. The ski trails begin at an elevation of 1085 meters and the ski area includes 297 hectares of skiing surface. On a clear day you can see the northern Japanese Alps and the Sea of Japan from the peak of Mt. Kenashi-yama.

There is a terrain park with jumps, rails, boxes and an eighty meter pipe for the snowboarders who are looking for something more adventurous than just a trip down the mountain. The resort boasts two gondolas and twenty-three chair lifts to whisk you back to the top once you reach the bottom of one of the 20 pistes or trails the longest of which is a 6.2miles (10km) run. There is also the option of off piste skiing off the back of the mountain however it is recommended that you take a local guide with you. There are powder fields between the marked trails. These areas are marked with signs “Do no enter unless you are a good skier.”

An all day lift ticket will cost around 4600 yen or you can get half-day or night passes. If you do not want to bring your own equipment, ski and board equipment rentals are available. Typical rental prices are around 3000 to 5000 yen per day.

There are several travel agencies that offer all inclusive ski package vacations at competitive prices. These packages include a Nozawa Onsen accommodation lift passes and transportation to the village.

Nozawa Onsen ski resort offers the promise of fresh powder almost every day during the snow season and a vast array of trails offering something for all experience levels of skiers and boarders from novice to expert. All trails end up back at the village so you will be able to easily walk to your Nozawa Onsen accommodation or your favorite public or private onsen at the end of your last run.

Nozawa Onsen is foreigner friendly; you will however want to make sure you have cash with you as many of the local establishments do not accept credit cards.

Nozawa Onsen accommodations range from inexpensive hostels to luxury resorts. Unique options you may want to explore are the traditional Japanese inns or ryokans.

Your Nozawa Onsen accommodation will likely be a short walk from the resort lifts. There are also many good restaurants and bars in the village.