Nozawa Onsen is a hot spring village at the foot of Mount Kenashi, north of Yamanouchi. Like Shibu, it lives by its public baths — 13 soto-yu maintained by neighbourhood associations and free to use (a coin in the donation box is appreciated) — and like Shiga Kogen, it has a large and much-loved ski resort.
The village is a tangle of steep lanes with the handsome wooden O-yu bathhouse at its centre. Locals cook vegetables and eggs in the scalding Ogama spring, and nozawana, the pickled green served across Nagano, takes its name from here.
Top things to do: Nozawa Onsen
Bathhouse-hop
The baths are simple wooden rooms with very hot water and no showers. Bring your own towel and soap, and use the buckets to rinse before you get in.
Ski Nozawa
The resort rises from the village to over 1,600 m, with long top-to-bottom runs and a reputation for deep snow. The season generally runs from December to early May.
See the fire festival
On 15 January each year the Dosojin Fire Festival pits villagers defending a wooden shrine against others attacking it with burning torches — one of Japan’s best-known fire festivals. Rooms sell out far in advance.
How to get there
- From Yamanouchi by car: roughly 40–50 minutes, depending on snow.
- By public transport: return to Nagano, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen one stop to Iiyama (about 11 minutes) and the Nozawa Onsen Liner bus (about 25 minutes).
- From Tokyo: shinkansen to Iiyama in around 1 hour 40–50 minutes, then the bus.
Insider tips
- Tattoos are generally not an issue in Nozawa’s village baths either, but be discreet and follow local etiquette.
- A classic week-long Nagano winter trip splits nights between Nozawa and Shibu or Shiga Kogen.
- Tours from Nozawa Onsen to the snow monkeys run in winter. See the live tour list.
Best tours & tickets: Nozawa Onsen
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Nozawa Onsen and the rest of the Yamanouchi area:
Guided day trip from US$138 Nagano: Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake Day Trip
The best-reviewed snow monkey tour on GetYourGuide by a wide margin. A local guide meets you at Nagano Station, shows you round Zenko-ji, then takes you out to Yamanouchi for lunch, a sake tasting and an unhurried afternoon with the monkeys — transport and park admission are handled for you.
- Zenko-ji Temple with a guide in the morning
- Lunch and a sake tasting included
- The forest walk to the Jigokudani monkey pool
Private tour from US$136 Snow Monkeys & Best of Nagano: Togakushi, Zenko-ji and More
A flexible private tour run by a local outfit: do just the snow monkeys in half a day, or extend it into a full day paired with a second sight such as Togakushi or Zenko-ji. Good when you want a guide’s eye for the quieter corners.
- Choose an efficient half day or a full day
- Private car and English-speaking guide
- Add Togakushi, Zenko-ji or other nearby stops
