Nozawa Onsen is located in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture.
Renowned for it's onsen since the Edo period, the village also played a significant role in the history of skiing in Japan. The village is located at the foot of Kenashi-yama with an altitude of 1650 meters surrounded by beautiful scenery.
Nozawa Onsen is popular amongst winter tourists as it strives to maintain a traditional atmosphere. Skiing was introduced to Japan in 1911 by Austrian Major Theodor von Lerch and came to Nozawa the following year.
What makes Nozawa Onsen a unique town to visit is its famous public hot baths.
Anyone can enjoy, free of charge, any of the thirteen public hot spring baths known as sotoyu. They all have a different source with distinct characteristics that provide for a variety of different mineral baths.
