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秋
Currently in season
AutumnOct–Nov
Nozawa now · ski season from late November
A 3.5% lodging tax applies in Nozawa Onsen from 1 June 2026. The Dōsojin fire festival is on 15 January.
春 夏 秋 冬
Checked 7 Oct 20264 min read
In brief

Nozawa Onsen is a hot-spring ski village in northern Nagano, reached from Iiyama Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen and a bus of about 25 minutes. Its 13 public bathhouses (soto-yu) are free, kept by village families and open from 5:00 to 23:00 (from 6:00 in December to March). The ski resort rises straight from the village. In 2019 it recorded more foreign guest nights (120,820) than Hakuba, almost all of them in ski season. Outside ski season it is quiet, cheap and at its best.

Why it is different from other ski towns

Nozawa was an onsen village for centuries before the first lift. The lanes are too narrow for coaches, the inns are family-run, and bathing is a neighbourhood routine, not a hotel facility. You walk between baths in a yukata and wooden sandals with a towel over your shoulder, in January, in the snow.

Soto-yu

How to bathe your way round the village

All free, with a donation box by the door. Bring a small towel; most have no soap and no lockers.

01

Ōyu, the village symbol大湯

Centre of the village

The handsome timber bathhouse on every postcard. Two pools: hot, and hotter. Start with the cooler one.

Water
sulfur, very hot
Crowds
busiest
02

Kuma-no-te-arai-yu熊の手洗湯

Uphill, west side

“The bear's hand-wash.” Its own source comes out at about 43°C, the mildest in Nozawa and the one to try first if you are new to this.

Temperature
gentlest
03

Kawara-yu河原湯

Centre of the village

Small wooden bathhouse on its own untouched source, in the middle of everything.

Source
its own
04

Jūōdō-no-yu十王堂の湯

Lower village

Looks like a block of flats; holds the cloudiest, most sulfurous water in the village. An egg-cooking box stands outside for anyone to use from 8:00.

Water
milky green
05

Ogama, the cooking spring麻釜

Top of the village · look, do not touch

A row of stone basins at close to 90°C where villagers boil vegetables and eggs. Visitors watch from the fence. It is a kitchen, and the water will take your skin off.

Bathing
no
Winter

The ski resort

One of the largest single resorts in Japan, with long top-to-bottom runs and reliable snow.

Detail
Season2026–27 dates not yet announced. In 2025–26 the main lifts ran 29 Nov to 29 Mar, then spring skiing to 6 May. Regular-price period 2026–27: 19 Dec to 28 Mar
Lift ticket¥7,800 adult day ticket in the 2026–27 regular period (child ¥4,700, senior ¥6,300; 2 days ¥14,500). Cheaper in the early-season and spring periods.
Access to the liftsMoving walkway (Yu Road) from the village to the Hikage base; Nagasaka gondola from the lower village
Good forIntermediates, tree-lined runs, families; a night-life that is a few bars and many baths
Compared with HakubaOne connected mountain and a real village, against Hakuba's ten separate resorts and bigger terrain. Hakuba ski guide
Compared with Shiga KōgenOne village mountain against 18 linked ski areas on a single ticket, with Japan's highest slopes (2,307 m) and about 70 minutes by bus from Nagano. Shiga Kōgen ski guide
Compared with MyōkōSimilar snow, more atmosphere, more visitors. Myōkō ski guide
Access

Getting to Nozawa Onsen

FromRouteTime
TokyoHokuriku Shinkansen (Hakutaka) to Iiyama, then Nozawa Onsen Liner busabout 1h 40m (Hakutaka, ¥8,890 reserved) + 25 min bus (¥600)
NaganoShinkansen to Iiyama (11 min) or direct bus in winterabout 1 hour in all
Kanazawa or ToyamaHakutaka east to Iiyama, then busabout 1h 30m from Kanazawa + 25 min
Snow monkeys (Yudanaka)Back to Nagano by Nagano Dentetsu, then as abovehalf a day

Not every Hakutaka stops at Iiyama. The Nozawa Onsen Liner (about 25 min, ¥600 adult, ticket machine at the stop) leaves from Iiyama Station; the 2026–27 timetable is not out yet, so check nozawaski.com or the Nagaden bus site before fixing a connection. The slower Nagaden town bus takes about 40 min. The JR Pass, the Hokuriku Arch Pass and the JR East Pass all cover the Shinkansen leg; the bus is paid on board.

Passes

Which pass reaches Iiyama

Tokyo ⇄ Kansai via the coast
虹

Hokuriku Arch Pass

¥35,000 · 7 days

Iiyama is a stop on it. Pair Nozawa with Kanazawa and Kyoto.

See on Klook ↗
東

JR East Pass

¥35,000 · 5 days

Nagano, Iiyama and Myōkō, if Tōhoku is on the same trip.

Pass details →
猿

Snow monkey day tour

From Tokyo or Nagano

The easy add-on before or after Nozawa.

See on Klook ↗
Where to stay

Inns with their own water

From our onsen file, which records how each inn uses the spring. Winter weekends need booking months ahead.

Grand ryokan

Ryokan Sakaya

旅館 さかや · Ryokan

The village's grand ryokan, steps from Ōyu, with its own garden source cooled without adding water.

Check rates ↗
Historic

Sennin-buro no Yado Tokiwaya Ryokan

千人風呂の宿 常盤屋旅館 · Ryokan

Big wooden bath hall on the Ōyu source plus its own Yakushi-no-yu.

Check rates ↗
Views

Nozawa Grand Hotel

野沢グランドホテル · Hotel

Three bath halls on the Shin-yu and Ogama sources, and wide views over the valley.

Check rates ↗
All Nozawa Onsen stays on Agoda ↗ Rakuten Travel ↗
FAQ

Nozawa Onsen, answered

Are the public baths in Nozawa Onsen really free?

Yes. All 13 soto-yu are free and open to visitors, 5:00 to 23:00 (from 6:00 in December to March). They are maintained by village households, so leave a coin in the donation box.

How do I get to Nozawa Onsen from Tokyo?

Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Iiyama Station, then the Nozawa Onsen Liner bus, about 25 minutes.

Is Nozawa Onsen worth visiting if I do not ski?

Yes. The baths, the lanes and the food are the point, and from May to November it is quiet and inexpensive. In winter non-skiers can still bathe, snowshoe and ride the gondola.

How hot are the baths in Nozawa Onsen?

Very. Most are fed by springs above 70°C and run hotter than a typical Japanese bath. Kuma-no-te-arai-yu is the mildest.

When is the Nozawa fire festival?

The Dōsojin Fire Festival is held on 15 January every year.

Can I use the baths with tattoos?

The soto-yu are unstaffed neighbourhood baths and each is run by its own local association, so read the notice at the door. Be discreet, wash before entering and keep towels out of the water.

Continue exploring

More in Nagano and the snow country

← Back
Nagano guide
→
Monkeys
Snow monkeys and Shibu Onsen
→
Ski
Hakuba
→
Ski
Myōkō
→
Route
Nagano to Kanazawa
→
Pass
JR East Pass
→
Ryokan
Myōjinkan, Matsumoto
→

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