A ski trip to Japan is an unforgettable experience and one that I can’t recommend enough to those who love the snow. Japan’s countless mountains, peaks, and ridges offer plenty of high quality snow in the winter, and a suite of other pleasures that make a Japan ski vacation a unique and special experience, particularly at fine resorts such as Nozawa Onsen.
The landscape of Japan has all the boldness and delicacy of the finest scroll paintings, with sweeping, endlessly varied mountain landforms and attractive, snow-whitened trees like ivory etchings against the blue sky. Nozawa Onsen, for example, has superb views from the slopes where you will be skiing, from the various lodgings – including everything from the budget Lodge Nagano to the self-contained Nozawa Cottage – and from the nearby village. Tours of the mountains and the magnificent vistas they present are available from Nozawa Holiday‘s English-speaking staff.
If you are looking for excellent skiing conditions, once again you need look no further than Japan’s mountains. The powder is really excellent and regularly topped up by snowfall, keeping it fresh and in prime condition to send you streaking downhill in an exhilarating way. There are 50 kilometers of trails in the immediate vicinity.
Besides plenty of top notch skiing, Japan has plenty of other things to enjoy in between your times on the slopes. Once again turning to the Nozawa Onsen resort as a prime example, you may want to experience soaking in the hot springs, or onsen, which are free and open to the public at all times. This hot mineral springs are natural saunas, where you can lave away the aches and sore muscles of a delightfully full day of skiing. Nozawa Onsen is located within an easy stroll of a large number of these springs.
Japanese food is excellent and Nozawa Onsen has a whole range of fantastic restaurants – you can try everything from sushi to raw horse to Japanese-style Italian. Delicious!
You can also make the trip to the snow monkeys during your stay, with our half day Monkey Tour. There’s a beautiful walk through the forest before you reach the hot springs where the monkeys are fed and take a bath. Yet another fantastic experience that makes skiing in Nozawa Onsen the best choice!
Final advice? If you want to ski Japan, come and ski Nozawa.