The whole purpose of our Japan trip was to snowboard, so we figured there’d be no better place to go than Nagano, where the winter Olympics were held in 1998 (still need to get back to ski Hokkaido). Specifically, we chose Nozawaonsen, which is known for all the nature hotsprings, or onsens found throughout the city, as evidenced by troughs of steaming hot water running all over town. Most of our time here was spent on the mountain or relaxing in an onsen, but we had a great time skiing the somewhat laid back terrain and even got one of the best powder days of my life. The town itself is very small and walkable; we stayed in a Ryokan that provided breakfast, which was perfect for this leg of the trip.
Where We Ate
Sobadokoro Suzuki: Nagano is famous for soba noodles, which I love, so I was on the quest for a good bowl of soba. This restaurant was a bit off the beaten path and served up some excellent noodles.
Mos Burger: This is a Japanese fast food chain for burgers that we felt we needed to try after seeing it all over, definitely worth it.
Where We Drank
Libushi: This is an awesome little brewery/beer bar near the center of Nozawa Onsen. The house beers are excellent and we were even able to find some very rare bottles from around the world as well.
What We Did
Nozawa Onsen Snow Resort: This ski resort hosted some events for the winter Olympics in 1998 and was where we spent most of our time in Nagano. The Japanese Alps are not as advanced as their namesake, but we loved the varied terrain. Our last day here was a Monday and we woke up to about a foot of fresh snow. We had the place to ourselves and was one of the best skiing days I’ve ever had.
Oyu Hot Spring: There are numerous onsens all over town (hence the name) and this is the one we chanced upon. These are an absolute must do when here.
An Impartial Eye Travel | Dale & Emily 