Travel Guide Nozawa Onsen

Nozawa Onsen is a small hot spring town and ski resort, located in the north of Nagano prefecture. It is probably the most authentic ski resort of the region, and a very pleasant place to visit in summer, thanks to its thirteen hot springs with multiple therapeutic virtues(sotoyu). Free, open to the public and maintained by the local community since the Edo period, they are mostly housed in old wooden buildings. Very popular for its traditional charm, the ski resort has kept its authenticity thanks to its small streets. You will also see the women of the village cooking eggs and vegetables in the hot springs, one of the unusual attractions of Nozawa Onsen. The spring water is so hot that you have to cool it down before dipping your feet into it, and the villagers boast that they are the only ones who can bathe there. Of the thirteen public baths (all of which you can try for free), O-yu is probably the most beautiful building, followed by Matsuba-no-yu and Kawahara-yu. You need to bring soap and towels, and we advise you to go from one onsen to another in yukata, like most Japanese.