The Skiers & Snowboarders Thread

[Stealthflyer]

Have nothing booked yet so we will have to be flexible! Most accom in Nozawa looks to be gone already. I think we'll do a few days in Madarao then go somewhere a little more authentic / less western.

We booked our accommodation in Nozawa back in May

 

[k_sheep]

Managed to get 4 nights at Nozawa Happy with that.

 

[Seat0B]

Managed to get 4 nights at Nozawa Happy with that.

Have you been there before? It’s a great little town and I have some suggestions of places to eat, things to do etc if you’d like them.

 

[k_sheep]

Nope first time! We've been the typical Niseko bogans previously. Gratefully accept any advice.

 

[elogic]

Have you been there before? It’s a great little town and I have some suggestions of places to eat, things to do etc if you’d like them.

For food , try Genki burger if you are after a burger , Cant beat The Coner Steakhouse for a wagyu steak or Winterland Taproom & Gyoza bar

​

 

[Seat0B]

You can get a combined lift and lunch ticket for a discount using this link

Special & Discount Tickets | Lift ticket | NOZAWAONSEN PORTAL

Special & Discount Tickets | Lift ticket | NOZAWAONSEN PORTAL

en.nozawaski.com

Scroll down until you find lift + ¥1000 lunch ticket. It’s an immediate saving of ¥500 on the combination. You do need to hand over a printed voucher for each day, so I suggest printing a bunch and taking them with you. You can use the lunch ticket at any of the on-mountain restaurants. If your chosen meal is more than ¥1000, you just pay the difference in cash.

We particularly like Hakugin restaurant up on the flat area just on the right below the exit from main gondola (about a 2-3 min ski) for typically Japanese menu, nice view and family owned and operated. There is also a decent cafeteria in the top of the gondola building and a fast food (eg pizza etc) in the entry/exit area of the top station of main gondola (Nagasaka Gondola).
There are also other good choices scattered on the mountain and at the base area of the Nagasaka gondola. Basically, the combined ticket covers all the key restaurants on the mountain so it’s a pretty good deal.

At the base of this Gondola, you can get a good cheap hot wax at Ski Thanks for about ¥1000 (a real rarity in Japan). Also they have rental boots and skis suited to Western sizes.
I’ll look for some photos and post soon.

 

[Seat0B]

Here is me outside Hakugin Nozawa on a snowy day.



And the view looking out from Hakugin on a sunny day... You can sit by the window and eat your lovely Japanese lunch and look at the amazing view while you do it. From memory, my tonkatsu bowl was 1300 yen (in January 2024). Also, very clean toilets. We used the lift +lunch ticket every day. There is a curry house next door to Hakugin, called Panorama House Buna that was also very popular with my family. It also has a spectacular view.



And the snow trees at the top of Yamabiko are just beautiful.

 

[Quickstatus]

It also has a spectacular view.

It's not fair

 

[Seat0B]

For off mountain food, I agree with @elogic about Genki burger. The burgers are delicious, generous and well priced. It was started by a couple of Aussie lads a number of years back, and is a firm favourite with both Aussie visitors and Japanese visitors too.



In the township itself, also try the Oyaki (a regional specialty). It's a soft steamed bun, filled with delicious sweet flavours (think red bean paste, sweetened spiced pumpkin, apple and cinnamon) or savoury flavours (pork, nozawana - a local green vegetable, I think it may be burdock, and other vegetable choices). The traditional place to buy these is on the main street corner outside Haus St Anton, where they sell thousands of these every day from a traditional steaming cart. Cost is 250-350 yen per bun. Don't worry if there is a long line, they serve fast, so be sure you know what you want before you get in line. In the past few years, a few alternative places selling oyaki have opened up along the main street, a bit cheaper and just as tasty, so have a good look around and give them a go - you won't be disappointed.

You can also get nice Aussie style coffee at Haus St Anton and now also several other places are also selling to the increasingly large number of Aussie guests. Spoiled for choice! Have a good look at bakery items too, as these are delicious! Haus St Anton, Akari Swiss Bakery and lots of others to choose from in the main street and little side streets just off it.

A short walk out of town, one of our favourite restaurants is the local izakaya Tonkitchi. It specialises in amazing okonomiyaki. You will need to make a reservatiotion to eat here. Your hotel can help.

 

[Seat0B]

There are lots and lots of small restaurants scattered in the town, but they do fill quickly during the ski season, so as you walk around town, if you see something you like, pop in and make a reservation or ask your hotel to do that for you. You might be lucky to get a walk in if there are only 2 of you, but even that is a big ask given how small these places are.

Next thing, do walk around the hills in the township area - it's beautiful, small restaurants and shops along the roadway and at the end you will find the big village cooking onsen, which is highly atmospheric. This is reserved for use by the local people only, for cooking needs. Also visit the local shrine, if snow conditions permit you to ascend (or more likely descend!) the very steep stairs. It's beautiful.



Be sure to visit as many of the town bathing onsens as you can. There are 13 public onsens in the town. These are all free to use (you pay an onsen vistor tax of 500 yen per night included in your accommodation costs). These are NOT the flash, fancy, upmarket onsens you get in hotels or other places, but are authentically local and quite rustic. Some tips:

• toiletries are not provided, so bring your own soap, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, face cream etc.
• bring your own towel
• be scrupulous about keeping your shoes off the bathing area floors including the area where you take your clothes off. Put your clothes into the cubby holes provided. Shoes will often go on the bottom row, to avoid putting shoe filth into the place where others put their clothes and towels.
• wash your whole body obviously and vigorously (an onsen towel - a long thin scrubber like a bath ball really helps with this) before you get in the bath - this is highly important as it is regarded as filthy to get into the shared bath before you wash. You will likely be given an onsen towel as an amenity in your hotel. If not, you can buy them cheaply at the supermarket/grocery stores in town.
• to wash, use one of the provided bowls. If there is a hot water tap . If not, scoop out some hot water from the onsen, and add cold water to suit from the taps (you can see these on the walls in the photos below). Move away from the bath edge and pour this water over yourself, soap up, pour more water over to remove the soap and be careful that soapy run off does not splash others, or run into the bath. Repeat as often as you need to. When clean, get in the bath and soak in bliss! Keep your hair up and out of the water. And yes, you will be naked as you do all these things.
• Be quiet - no loud talking, just keep it so that people can zen out. I hear things are a bit different in the men's onsen, but in the ladies, it is always quiet and calm.
• When you finish using the bowl, rinse it out with hot onsen water, tip onto the tiles, and return it to the storage area, turned upside down to drain.
• There is nowhere to use a hair drier at these local style onsens, so take a hair wrap or hat for the cold walk home!
• If you want to meet local people, go to the onsen during the day while all the tourists are out skiing. There is, naturally, a big rush hour from about 4-6.30pm as everyone gets off the mountain, so it can get a bit overcrowded at those times of the day. if you go at other times, you might be the only person there. That's how I got these photos!
• Some of these onsen are really hot! They tend to get cooler the lower down the mountain you go. If you start to feel hot, sit on the side of the onsen for a bit, or use your basin to add a small amount of cold water near where you are sitting - being sure not to put that cold water near anyone else who might not want it. Becareful not to overheat, as people have been known to faint. I always take a bottle of water to drink before I get in, and again after I get out.
• Some of the traditional onsen do not have toilets, so go before you head there, otherwise it can be uncomfortable!
• Don't be afraid, the first time is the hardest and after that it is a lovely calm ritual that really makes your ski legs feel better!

When it is time to leave Nozawa, if you are catching the bus in to Iiyama to get the shinkansen, or on to another resort area such as Madarao, do be aware that there are usually very long lines for the buses. They just keep bringing more buses to suit the number of people who turn up, so you will get a seat eventually, but you may have to wait a while, so allow for that in any time sensitive arrangements. Yes, that line goes all the way around the corner!

Also when we were last there (2024), you still had to pay for the ticket with cash into a ticket machine 500-1000 yen per person, depending on your destination. So many stressed Aussies finding out that they could not just tap their phone!! And it's not that easy to get cash in a hurry in Nozawa. So plan for that too.




Oh writing this is making me very nostalgic for Nozawa Onsen - it's a great place!

 

[Seat0B]

Finally, this is the snow report site that I like to use. The reports are done by local people each day, and I find them to be quite truthful.

SnowJapan | The independent guide to skiing, snowboarding and ski resorts in Japan

www.snowjapan.com

You can choose other resorts than Nozawa, of course

 

[Seat0B]

I think we'll do a few days in Madarao then go somewhere a little more authentic / less western.

I'm really glad you got accommodation at Nozawa. It's such a lovely place. Have you been to Madarao before? I've only been there once before, but again, I could share my experiences if it helps you.