I visited Nozawa Onsen Village in Nagano Prefecture, about a two-hour train ride from Tokyo.

The thing that surprised me most about my trip to Nozawa Onsen Village was the large number of Western tourists. Buses from Iiyama Station, which connect Nozawa Onsen Village, are almost entirely foreign. It's often a shocking sight to see so few Japanese tourists at cafes, izakayas, and even hot springs. The owner of a cafe even accepts the bill in broken English. Of course, the menus are in English, and even the town's hot spring map is in English.

I'll share a day's travels in this international, small hot spring town.


My destination on this trip was Nozawa Onsen Lodge, an acorn-shaped lodging facility located just outside Nozawa Onsen Town. It was designed by Takamasa Yoshizaka, a leading Japanese architect who is said to be one of Le Corbusier's three disciples. Built in 1969, the lodge was run as a facility for learning skiing techniques, and was taken over by Ryotaro Yao, who took over from the previous owner, in 2017.






Interview with Ryotaro Yao, Owner of Nozawa Onsen Lodge

Owner Yao has been an avid alpine skier since childhood, and often visited Nozawa Onsen Village, which is adjacent to the ski resort, for training camps and competitions. After retiring from alpine racing as an adult and enjoying powder skiing and family skiing, he rediscovered the charm of Nozawa Onsen. When he and his family began thinking about one day moving to Nozawa Onsen, he met the previous owner, Mr. Yamaguchi, again, which led him to take over the lodge. He felt it was his destiny to preserve Nozawa Onsen Lodge, designed by Yoshizaka, which he had seen since childhood. He wanted to restore the lodge, which had been renovated and expanded over the years, to its original form as much as possible while updating it to suit the current era.


Nozawa Onsen Lodge's spiral indoor staircase


Nozawa Onsen Lodge Restoration Plan

The theme of the Nozawa Onsen Lodge restoration plan is to understand what Mr. Yoshizaka had in mind and restore it to the style of Yoshizaka's architecture. The renovation was undertaken by his skiing buddy and friend, Koyama Yu, and the interior was also built by the group using DIY methods. To accommodate international guests, the kitchen, shower, toilet, and insulation were updated, creating a clean, cozy, and comfortable space with white walls and wood.




The guest rooms include two condominium-style rooms with kitchens and living rooms, and seven dormitory-style rooms. There is a shared kitchen space and meeting room on the first floor, and a shower room in the basement.









I stayed at Nozawa Onsen Lodge

At Nozawa Onsen Lodge, I was greeted by a woman named Mikako. They kindly provided information about the surrounding area and the snowy mountains, which put me at ease. On this day, the hotel was fully booked with foreign tourists. Thanks to its convenient location near the Nagasaka Gondola at Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort, the number of visitors from Australia and Asia seeking fresh, powdery snow, "JAPOW" (Japan powder snow), is increasing every year, especially in winter.

Breakfast is also available, and Mikako's special omelet was delicious.



Enjoying a Tour of Nozawa Onsen's Outdoor Baths

From Nozawa Onsen Lodge, it's about a five-minute walk to the hot spring town. The hot spring town is dotted with 13 outdoor baths, protected since the Edo period by the "Yunakama" system. Among them, Oyu, located in the center of town, is a symbol of Nozawa Onsen, with its beautiful bathhouse architecture that preserves the charm of the Edo period. The Oyu bath enshrines the Yakushi Triad, while the other baths enshrine the Twelve Divine Generals, and even today they are beloved as the guardian deities of Nozawa Onsen. A tour of these hot springs is called "soto-yu meguri."




Oyu

Start your "soto-yu meguri"!

First, head to Ogama Onsen Park Furusato no Yu. This is the only bathhouse equipped with showers, shampoo, and conditioner, so many people wash and warm up here before starting their "soto-yu meguri" tour. At the back of the indoor bath there is an open-air bath with floating hot spring minerals, where you can relax in complete comfort.




"Ogama Onsen Park Furusato no Yu" (Bath fee: 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for children *3 years old to elementary school age)


Most of the baths are open to the public for free (although some require a fee), and you can bathe by making an offering. Opening the door leads straight into the changing room, with the bathtub right in front of you. I was surprised at first, but this is a traditional Nozawa Onsen bathhouse. Many bathhouses have springs with two temperatures: hot and lukewarm, and in some, even the lukewarm water feels quite hot.


Kuma no Tear Bath
Start by gently stepping in with your feet, and once you've adjusted to the water's temperature, slowly immerse yourself up to your shoulders. The hot, slightly tingling sensation will become comfortable after a few minutes. Take a breather, enjoying the softness of the water, its color, and the sulfurous scent.


Nitta no Yu

Even foreign tourists unfamiliar with hot spring culture seem to enjoy Japan's hot springs. Customers naturally start communicating with each other and becoming bathing buddies, simply by using the words "hot" and "lukewarm." The bathhouse is filled with laughter, and my heart feels warm too. It's the first time I've ever been to a hot spring that made me feel so happy. My body warms up, and I forget the cold, even with the snow falling outside. With my body still warm, I head to the next bathhouse. Many people in the city spread out their hot spring maps like this and go on an "outdoor bath hopping" spree.



Don't worry if you forget your towel!
The hot spring town is full of shops selling these colorful towels

Nozawa Onsen town also has a wide variety of dining options. From cafes to izakayas and bars...there are plenty of places to eat, from independent shops that evoke Showa-era nostalgia and offer a glimpse of the good old culture, to international stores that are sure to please tourists from overseas. It's a mysterious town where bathhouses from the Edo period, shops from the Showa period, and the present day coexist. It's a place where you can make all sorts of discoveries just by walking around, from souvenir shops with nostalgic fonts to colorful store signs.








The banana roll filled with fresh cream we found in the hot spring town was delicious★★★

Activities to enjoy all four seasons recommended by Yao

Nozawa Onsen Village is located in the mountains where it snows a lot, so there are facilities where you can enjoy snow activities in the pleasant sunshine right up until around Golden Week. Other activities you can enjoy here include yoga, SUP yoga, rafting, camping, and mountain biking. Also, Yao says that picking wild vegetables, growing rice, and BBQs where you can savor seasonal ingredients like bamboo shoots and mushrooms are great.


Nozawa Onsen Village is a place where you can enjoy a variety of activities while immersing yourself in nature, even in the coming seasons. While experiencing Yoshizaka architecture at Nozawa Onsen Lodge, why not try "open-air bath hopping" at a traditional bathhouse?










Ryotaro Yao
Born in Tokyo in 1979. He began alpine skiing at a young age in Seki Onsen, Myoko Kogen, Niigata Prefecture, and at the age of 15 studied alpine skiing at Stratton Mountain School in Vermont, USA. After working for advertising agencies, foreign creative agencies, Coca-Cola Japan Creative Excellence, Amer Sports, and Netflix, he is currently the creative director of SNOW JAPAN for the Ski Association of Japan, CMO of Antinol/Lyprinol, and is primarily responsible for communication strategy and creative at NINJA WORKS, Spiber, and the operation of Nozawa Onsen Lodge.