Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort opened on Saturday, November 30th. The 2024-25 season is here, entering its 101st year. Tomomi Nakamura, who moved to Nozawa Onsen this spring, reports on the long-awaited opening day of her first ski!
November 30th (Saturday) 8:00 a.m. -3 degrees Celsius; 30cm of snow on the mountaintop
Is it still too early for the ski slopes to open? Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort was announced to open a week ago. The long-awaited winter season is here. Although I was worried about whether it would actually open, I went to Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort, which opened on November 30th!
When I woke up in the morning, it was raining in the hot spring town of Nozawa Onsen Village.
Believing that it would be snowing at the top of the mountain, I prepared myself and headed to the ski resort.
When I arrived at the ski resort parking lot at 8 a.m., I saw cars lined up with license plates from not only Nagano Prefecture but also Tokyo, Kanto, and Kansai, and I realized that many skiers and snowboarders were looking forward to today's opening. I felt it.
I overheard locals saying things like, ``The snowfall in the Hakuba area is amazing, and when it falls there, there's not much snow in Nozawa Onsen.I hope it will start raining towards mid-December.'' At 8:30 a.m., the gates of the Nagasaka Gondola platform opened with a greeting from Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort President Katagiri. We board the gondola one after another and head towards the top of the mountain.
The Nagasaka Gondola, which was renovated four years ago, has a seating capacity of 10 people. It is known for its quick turnaround time, which takes about 8 minutes to get to the top of the mountain, and you will be happy to know that you can board smoothly even if there are long lines that can occur during the high season.
Autumn leaves and snowy landscape gradation that can only be seen now
As I rode the gondola toward the top of the mountain, I suddenly looked back and saw the gradation of snow and autumn leaves that made me feel the beginning of winter. This is also a sight unique to newly opened ski resorts.
The courses that can be skied are D course and E course (uncompacted snow), which are sandwiched by Yamabiko No. 2 four lift.
Contrary to previous information that only one course at Yamabiko Slope would be open, in reality two courses, D and E, were open. As a result, people were able to ski in a relatively relaxed manner without concentrating on one spot.
The start of the D course has a gentle slope, making it perfect for checking the season's operation. When you turn left at the fork, the course becomes narrower and the slope becomes steeper, so you need to control your speed.
Be sure to slow down, as there are "SLOW" signs and red poles to warn you. In the high season, there is snow on both sides, and the course is wide enough, but there isn't enough snow yet, so it's a compromise. Furthermore, since the slopes are often exposed to sunlight, snow tends to harden easily, so be aware of this when skiing.
The uncompacted snow course E has a slope and is suitable for intermediate and advanced skiers. Although we don't expect as much snow as in the high season, this is a course that can be enjoyed well into the season. Also, since only one lift will be in operation, there will be a waiting time of about 5 minutes. I felt it was the perfect interval to slowly skate and get my feet used to it.
On the opening day, professional skier Kenji Kono, Manami Ueno, who competed in the halfpipe event at the Sochi Olympics, and Yudai Ueno, who was a coach at the time, were among those visiting the slopes. The reason you can catch a glimpse of off-shots of him skating with his children in private is because it's the middle of the season, when there aren't many visitors.
If you find a skier skiing at a high level, he might be a famous skier who grew up in Nozawa Onsen and competed all over the world.
The restaurant is empty and comfortable!
Since only the Yamabiko No. 2 forlift is in operation, only the restaurant "Rest House Yamabiko" is open for business. It seemed like the number of people using the restaurant had increased from around 10:30, but it wasn't too crowded and I was able to spend a comfortable time.
I'm happy to be able to enjoy my favorite "Nozawana Lamb Steak Rice" from Season In! I will save the new menu item ``Beef Stew Doria Nozawana Rice'' for next time.
Nozawa Onsen is a fun place to enjoy après-ski
After leaving the slopes and getting off to the hot spring town, it's fun to eat and drink while walking around Oyu Dori, where many shops are located. The village is lined with a variety of old and new buildings, so it is recommended that you take a stroll through the village with a map distributed at the tourist information center or a ``collection book'' sold at the tourist information center.
The MAP is updated every year, and new stores have been added this year as well.
One of them, Pole Pole Coffee, located on the main street where the central bus terminal is located, serves hot drinks such as coffee and chai lattes, as well as homemade cakes and cookies.
The bright and spacious interior is a great place to talk about today's riding with a friend over a cup of coffee, or just relax and read a book by yourself.
Not just outdoor baths! Renovated “Furusato no Yu”
When you come to Nozawa Onsen, enjoy a hot spring after ski! There are many people who think so. One of the characteristics of Nozawa Onsen's unique ``outdoor bath'' culture is that it is open to tourists visiting the village. There are 13 outdoor baths where you can take a bath by placing an offering in an offering box, but when you actually look inside, you will find that there is no shower installed, and the bath is a simple one where you pour hot water and enter the bath. Some people may be confused.
For such people, Asagama Onsen ``Furusato no Yu'' is recommended. With the renovation in October, the rest space and women's powder room were expanded, so Furusato no Yu is the only bath that can meet your requests, such as relaxing in the open-air bath or enjoying a snow-viewing bath. .
Nozawa Onsen Village becomes crowded with people during the high season. The winter season has just begun, and the village is full of charm, with its unique slow pace that you can only enjoy now, and the mix of old and new in an atmosphere unlike any other city.
Information
Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort
official website: https://nozawaski.com/Official
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