Nozawa Onsen
野沢温泉
A hot-spring ski village that keeps 13 free public outdoor baths and is connected to the ski slopes. The wooden “Ō-yu” (Great Bath) bathhouse is the village's emblem.
Nozawa Onsen lies in northern Nagano Prefecture. Its hot springs are said to have been in use for over a thousand years. The village's 13 outdoor baths are managed by villagers, and visitors can bathe for free (an offering of coins is appreciated). The most famous is the Ō-yu, an Edo-style wooden building. At the source spring called Magama, villagers cook Nozawa-na (pickled greens) and onsen eggs in water of nearly 90°C. Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort has abundant snow, and its longest run is about 10 km, which makes it popular with overseas skiers. The Dosojin fire festival on January 15th is spectacular. Getting there: from Nagano Station, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Iiyama Station (about 11 minutes), then transfer to a direct bus to Nozawa Onsen (about 25 minutes).
Opening hours
Outdoor bath about 5:00/6:00 am–11:00 pm
Nearby sights
- Lake Nojiri
- Gansho-in Temple
- Obuse & Hokusai-kan
- Myoko Kogen (Akakura Onsen Ski Area)
- Nagano Prefectural Art Museum
- Zenkō-ji
- Togakushi Shrine
- Kagami-ike Pond