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Just a few picks from our trip in 2009.

Nozawa truly has a mellow village atmosphere and friendly vibe. From the narrrow cobbled streets to old ladies cooking in the hotsprings as they heve been doing for hundreds of years, this place is somewhere that should definitely go on your 'bucket list'

Oh, it snows a bit here as well :clap:

 

 

 

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some nice photos Snowjunky, although when I travelled through Noz last year i was disappointed at the village. I was only travelling through on a bus, dropping people off before heading across the valley, but after hearing on here about how "beautiful the Nozawa Onsen" was, I thought it looked as shitty aesthetically as any town in Japan. Although i was happy to see your pics with the cobbled streets (I didn't see that), but I was expecting noz to look like that all over, quaint.........instead it just looked as crappy, haphazard way that I've seen countless times all over Japan.

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some nice photos Snowjunky, although when I travelled through Noz last year i was disappointed at the village. I was only travelling through on a bus, dropping people off before heading across the valley, but after hearing on here about how "beautiful the Nozawa Onsen" was, I thought it looked as shitty aesthetically as any town in Japan. Although i was happy to see your pics with the cobbled streets (I didn't see that), but I was expecting noz to look like that all over, quaint.........instead it just looked as crappy, haphazard way that I've seen countless times all over Japan.

 

Your description of what you saw TB is spot on. The road in to the bus stop is like many other places.

Just one block higher up the hill is the cobbled streets, cooking onsen, quaint restaurants, public onsen, ryoken, shops, PO etc. Apart from delivery vehicles it is predominantly pedestrian only and stretches quite away along the hill

TB, you will have to go back.

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Sort of. Just quieter, Nozawa is much more lively. Certainly when I have been to Zao it has been trouble finding somewhere to eat in the evening, other than the conbini!

Sad, it really spoils the Zao experience.

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I Love Zao, whats the village like in the green season? Is it busy? It being an Onsen town, I'd imagine it to be a year round visitor place. Funny that there are no night eateries and drinking dens

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yeah....it looks like everywhere else to be honest....some nice okonomiyaki at the end tho....i love when its thick like that!! :yummy: Also it looks better (the town...not the food)when its covered in snow, but I just know that underneath that lovely white blanket is the same old cheap and tired looking crappy buildings that are the makeup of every town in Japan. Town planners and architects need shot over here!! :)

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I like Nozawa a lot and would urge folks to stay in the more Japanese places there to complete the experience.

 

Its more 1960s/70s onsen town than genuine ye olde, but its walkable, there are enough touches to make it feel Japanese, and the proper ryokans are offer the kind of service that Japanophiles write gushing articles about.

 

Its a great ski hill too. Some genuine steeps. In my experience, snow disappears pretty quickly lower down later in the season (low altitude and downside of no snowmaking?), so maybe choose Shiga Kogen or Hakuba then.

 

I'll finish with the obvious comment that the Dosojin (Fire) festival is a wild one and well worth seeing. Jan 15th every year.

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Nice work snow junky. Thank's for talking us in to going there in 2010 still the best town have been to so far.Way better than echo land /hakuba so much choice when eating out.Hope to go back there with Lynne in march or maybe Myoko.That sounds great also.
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Try Kusatsu, Tripler. I haven't been there in a while but used to be pretty cool. Minakami also has some charm, and I think Muika had some outstanding pix of the area from last season. Closer in there's Ikaho, and for a little exotic Japan there's not much better than the Minami Suwa train station, with an onsen on the platform.

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Hi Snowboard, yes the free public onsen are great though you have to be confortable 'Nuding up" with the locals. There is a choice of around 13 from memory though I only tried 3 that were handy to where I was staying. Some have more than one bath with different temperatures. Hot, bloody hot, and lobster

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any male who has played competitive sports shouldn't be uncofortable with being in the scuddy........surely you showered after your game right? Onsens are the same....naked is great!!

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Hi Ponyrider, there are plenty of good places to eat & the staff at Villa Nozawa will give you reccomendtions.

 

A few of my favourites (in no particular order) -

Tomachi - a specialist Okonomyaki maker just about straight across the road from where you are staying

Daimon Soba - As the name suggests specialises in cheap, delicious soba meals. It is in a quaint little shop just off the main eat street near the liquor shop. Intimate atmosphere It's just like eating in their lounge room.

Wakagiri - Japanese & western. A little more formal, has english menu, nice setting, It's one the maindrag between you hotel and Oyu Onsen

Kaze No Le - Italian - good pasta & pizza when you feel like a change from local fare. One of the few places I went that had a good (read drinkable) wine selection. It's upstairs diagonally opposite the Historic Oyu Onsen.

There's also a great little Izakaya up the hill from Oyu, can't remember the name but the hostess dresses like a Geisha. Good casual atmosphere and yummy finger food.

Plus plenty more, both in the village and on the mountain.

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