nozawa onsen: traditional nagano
fall is the rice harvest season in japan
our destination this afternoon is the very old bathing town of nozawa onsen, nestled high in the mountains of the japan alps. we will have time in nozawa in the late afternoon to get oriented around the village and take a quick bath before a sumptuous kaiseki multi-course dinner in the inn.
nozawa onsen is a quaint village north of cagano City with an onsen that according to legend dates back to the 8th century. the village center is a collection of ryokans, inns and souvenir shops congregated on the slope at the base of the nozawa ski resort. the hot spring mineral water in nozawa is unrivaled, with over 30 natural springs supplying the ryokans and also 13 public baths. of these, “oyu”, with its traditional wooden architecture, represents the best of nagano’s onsen culture. also distinctive of nozawa onsen is the “ogama” spring where locals go to cook vegetables in the hot onsen water.
we love nozawa onsen for its many public bath houses---there are 13 in town that the villagers collectively maintain and use for their own bathing. each bath has a different kind of water, and you can walk around town in your robe and visit each one. there is a small tenugui bath towel with the names of all 13 baths, and you can collect stamps at each place to boast that you have been to them all (although you will have to work very hard to beat the record of lisa, who dipped in ALL 13 in just one day!!)
our inn, the fabulous sakaya ryokan is one of the oldest in town. located right behind the main bath in town with its own amazing facilities: baths, gardens, design. link to the inn’s website: www.ryokan-sakaya.co.jp be sure to discover the baths in our own ryokan---they are some of the oldest and best in town, and only available to those staying in the inn (no day-trippers!) the sister inn has really old school baths that are cave-like, if you have extra time and desire. also in the sister hotel there is a delightful bar that is run by a truly old-school bartender (also a certified wine sommelier). we will point out this place when we arrive, as well as a fantastic wine/sake shop in town run by 3 generations of the same family.
the 13 public baths in nozawa village are free, but you will notice that at the entrance to each one is an “honor box” for contributions. we encourage you to do so, as well as take your towel and soap with you and make sure you leave things neat and clean when you leave.
in between baths and eating, there are many temples dotting the mountains around town, just short hikes uphill. (nozawa is also known as one of the best ski resorts in japan). in the winter the streets are cleared of snow by all the excess hot water running through the town. you’ll notice free foot baths around town, too, which are delightful after a day on the slopes or in the fall while enjoying a locally made draft beer!
on one of our free days in this village, we charter a bus to take us to mabuse onsen, one of the highest altitude hot springs in japan. the view from mabuse is quite spectacular, as are the outdoor baths with views of the entire nagano valley if the weather works with us. also in this village you can sign up for an optional mushroom hunting excursion with a local expert. what you forage on this trip you will bring back to the inn and they will prepare them for us all to share over dinner.
