Welcome Team Nozawa Holidays
Congratulations and Welcome to the Nozawa Holidays Team
Nozawa Holidays has a long and rewarding history of living and working in Nozawa Onsen, beginning back in 1991. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to have an incredible team of people from all around the world join us—each playing a part in creating unforgettable experiences for our guests and one another.
We’re excited to welcome you to the team and continue this amazing tradition in the beautiful village of Nozawa Onsen, Japan.
To help you prepare for the season ahead, we’ve put together some helpful tips, videos, and resources. Think of it as a little bit of homework—designed to make sure you get the most out of your time working (and playing!) in Nozawa.
Working Holiday Visa Japan
Most of our team members are able to join us on a Working Holiday Visa. If you haven’t done so already, please confirm whether you’ve applied for or already received your visa, as it is essential for employment in Japan.
If you’re still in the application process, please take care with how you complete your visa form. The Working Holiday Visa is intended primarily for cultural exchange and travel, so it’s important not to indicate that you plan to work in a single location, like Nozawa, for the entire stay (especially longer than 3 months).
We recommend checking relevant forums or resources online for up-to-date tips from others who have successfully applied.
Brush Up on Your Japanese
We hope you’re brushing up on your Japanese! If you’re already a speaker—great! It will definitely come in handy at work. If you’re just starting out, even a little Japanese goes a long way. Being able to chat with locals, order meals, and find your way around will make your time in Japan much smoother and more rewarding.
Apps like Duolingo are a good place to start, but nothing beats real-life immersion—try speaking with native speakers as much as you can once you arrive!
Here’s a link to some handy Japanese phrases to get you started; https://storylearning.com/learn/japanese/japanese-tips/basic-japanese-phrases
What to Expect
Nozawa Onsen is more than just a ski resort—it’s a truly special place, rich in tradition, culture, and history. The food is delicious, the skiing world-class, the natural hot springs (onsen) rejuvenating, and the locals are among the friendliest you’ll meet anywhere in the world. We’re incredibly fortunate to have been part of this community for over 20 years and deeply value the relationships and respect we’ve built with the town and its people.
While overseas visitors are becoming more common, tourism is still a relatively recent development here. It’s important that we all respect local customs and culture at all times. When we do, the locals will warmly welcome you—just as we do—and you’ll find the experience all the more rewarding.
We work hard to ensure every guest has an unforgettable stay—whether they’re relaxing in one of our lodges or houses, hitting the slopes, or exploring the village. The many repeat guests we welcome year after year, along with the glowing feedback we receive, are a great reminder that we’re doing things right.
Here are just a few comments from past guests to give you an idea:
Just wanted to say thanks for providing excellent facilities and hospitality. You
run a very friendly, relaxed yet professional operation and provided excellent
advice and support to enjoy Nozawa onsen to the fullest.
Everything is great and MORE! All promised on the website is produced to the
highest standard and beyond
I assure you my next visit will be longer. What an awesome location! I
understood you are fully booked for this season, but in case you have any
cancellations in one of your lodges for some weekend, please let me know. We
are staying in Tokyo and would love to come back to see you all and the amazing
village
The team at Villa Nozawa were just fantastic, you are lucky to have such nice
people there as a support team, please say thank you to all. If you were visiting
Cairns would love a chance to catch up and to buy you a drink, Enjoy the
snow………… Lea, Doug, Pippa and Lachlan
Mark I am just back at work 2 days now and wanted to take the opportunity to
say thank you and what a brilliant team of people you have in the lodge. I was
really impressed with all of them, in particular Luke, Mariko and Rene, very hard
working, always helpful and friendly, inclusive and fun. They made us feel like we
were the only guests staying there even though they were flat out
They were brilliant and worked so well together with great regard for each other
as well as the visitors. It was such a nice atmosphere to be around everyday. Ski
instructors were excellent too in every way.
Will definitely come again some time in the future and am recommending it to my
colleagues.
Warm regards Anne Becker
More than anything, it’s our staff who make the biggest impact on our guests’ experience. Your energy, care, and friendliness are what turn a great holiday into a truly memorable one.
What to Pack for Working in Nozawa Onsen
We provide a staff T-shirt and black fleece as your uniform. Instructors will also receive a ski jacket, which must be returned at the end of the season. It gets very cold in Nozawa, so bring plenty of warm gear and thermals. You can also pick up affordable winter clothing in Japan—Uniqlo is a great option and usually cheaper than overseas. Here’s a helpful video on what to pack
Ski and Board Gear
We have a collection of ex-rental skis and snowboards available for staff to use, free of charge. These are kept at the staff accommodation and will be ready at the start of the season—feel free to share and swap as needed.
If you’re after newer gear, the Rakuten website has great deals, and our Japanese team can help you order items at the start of the season. Just note that most of our gear is older, so if you’re planning to ride a lot, we highly recommend bringing or buying your own boots. You’ll also need your own outerwear, gloves, helmet, and goggles.
For shopping in person, Jimbocho in Tokyo is a goldmine for snow gear, with tons of shops offering great deals. Nozawa also has a few local ski stores with seasonal discounts.
Insurance
Travel insurance that includes snow sports coverage—and backcountry cover if you plan to go off-piste—is a must. Without it, any accident could lead to costly medical bills and other expenses. Please ensure you’re fully covered before arriving. Check out this site (Australia) or any other travel insurance in your country. https://www.comparetravelinsurance.com.au/ski-insurance/does-ski-insurance-cover-off-piste
International Driving Permit
You’ll need an International Driving Permit to drive in Japan. It’s easy to get—just visit your local auto club like NRMA. It typically costs around $50 for a year. Here are a few tips for driving in snow. Please note, we only allow people to drive if they want to and feel confident doing so; Driving in Snow
Getting to Nozawa Onsen
Here is some info on how to get to Nozawa; https://www.nozawaholidays.com/getting-to-nozawa-onsen/
The best way to get here is by train to Iiyama Station, then transfer to the Nozawa Onsen Liner bus, which goes directly to Nozawa Onsen Village. As mentioned, we hope everyone arrives by around December 10th.
You’re welcome to send your gear ahead of time, even before you arrive. You can send it to this address:
Lodge Nagano
(Your name)
6846-1 Oaza-Toyosato, Nozawa-Onsen- Mura, Shimotakai-gun, Nagano 389-2502
Tel no: 090 9669 6026
Here are some helpful tips on how to use a courier https://www.nozawaholidays.com/courier-your-bags/
Register and Set up a Bank Account in Japan
When you arrive in Nozawa, you’ll need to complete a few important steps:
1. Register at the Town Hall (“Yakuba”)
Within 2 weeks of arrival, go to the local Town Hall (“Yakuba”) to register your address. You can use the Lodge Naganoaddress. When registration is complete, ask them to issue a residence certificate (“Jyumin Hyo”) that includes your 12-digit My Number (“Kojin Bango”). The cost of issuing the residence certificate is 300 yen.
2. Open a Japanese Bank Account
You can open an account at any Japanese bank, but Japan Post in the village is the easiest. Bring your Residence Card (Gaijin Card) , Passport and residence certificate (“Jyumin Hyo”). Here are some helpful tips: How to open a Japanese bank account – Timeout Tokyo
3. Please send the following information via email to Yoshi in the office by the end of December:
📧 Email: yoshibaumann@gmail.com
- A copy of your Residence Card (front and back)
- Your 12-digit My Number (Kojin Bango) – or a photo of your residence certificate (Jyumin hyo)
- Your home country address
- Your email address
- Your Japanese bank account details: Bank name, Branch number and Account number
- A copy of your lift pass
This information is required to process your pay, so please make it a priority.
Pack your bags for a great season working with us in Nozawa
Here are some great video links with useful info to help you get into the Nozawa Onsen mindset before you arrive. We have many returning team members each season. They’ll help mentor you alongside your managers to get you settled in quickly.
🎥 Orientation Tour of Nozawa
This short clip gives a great overview of Nozawa Village and the resort. We give every guest an orientation when they arrive—so it’s helpful to know your way around too!
How to Onsen
Onsens are an essential part of Nozawa Onsen’s culture and daily life. We encourage all staff and guests to experience them—they’re perfect for relaxing sore muscles after a big day on the slopes or at work, and they’re a beautiful, sustainable gift from nature with natural flowing hot spring water. There are some important rules around how to use an onsen properly, so please check out the video below to learn more.
Big thanks to Luke for starring in this one! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS2YUMFAQ3g&t=2s
Finally, don’t forget to bring:
- Your sense of adventure
- A willingness to work hard and dive into new experiences
- Respect for the locals and their customs
We have assembled a wonderful international team and look forward to welcoming you all to Nozawa this season. Nozawa is truly a magical place, rich in tradition and culture, with soothing onsens, delicious food, incredible snow, and some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.
We’re proud to host amazing guests from around the world—many of whom return year after year, expecting the high level of service that the entire Nozawa Holidays team delivers. We trust you will carry on this proud tradition.
Looking forward to working with you this season!
Best Regards,
Nozawa Holiday Team
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