Kawamotoya Ryokan - Nozawa Onsen

NOZAWA ONSEN
Nagano

The Mountain
Nozawa Onsenis natural hot spring village located in the Nagano region. Nozawa Onsen was a traditional Japanese Village first and a snow resort second. It is actually a residential village as well as a historic Onsen town. At the same time you enjoy skiing and snowboarding, you can see the real Japanese culture and life. The resort consists of 24 courses with two gondolas and 17 chairlifts. English ski and snowboard lessons are available.

The Location
It is about 80 minutes by Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Iiyama station. There is the shuttle bus from Iiyama station to Nozawa Onsen which takes only 25 minutes. After booking your accommodation with us we will send you all travel indormation to make transit from the airport an easy and enjoyable experience.

Kawamotoya Ryokan

Late Jan 2024

We loved staying at Kawamotoya – our apartment was lovely – bright and airy, and had everything we needed.  The place was run very efficiently by a host of Reception staff who looked after our every need – nothing was any trouble at all for them.  The smart TV in our room was a bonus, so we could turn on Netflix etc if we wanted to.  The plated breakfasts were absolutely delicious, and the coffee outstanding.   My only comment here is that the breakfast area felt like an extension of the reception area, not particularly warm or inviting.  Perhaps the quiet reading room (which never seemed to be used) might be a better option for breakfast, as it could be made into a more welcoming zone.

Nozawa Onsen is an interesting village – dates back 100 years.  It is different to any other ski area we’ve ever skied at – in Japan or elsewhere.  There are channels of gushing water everywhere, on the sides of every lane/street, which adds to the charm of the place.  Walking around the village at night, there is a cheerful and happy vibe.  Beautiful little restaurants everywhere too, although the week we were there, it was quite busy and sometimes it was difficult to get in to any restaurant unless you had a booking.  If you want to go to a restaurant of any note, you must book well ahead, otherwise you won’t get in.

If you like onsens, Nozawa is onsen heaven.  Greg particularly liked the privately run onsen, but there are many free public ones to choose from.  

In the upper village, we found the Gin Distillery interesting – a calm atmosphere, where you could enjoy some nibblies and a gin or two (or a sampling plate).  There are also quite a few bars, some with DJs playing cool music.  

As for the skiing, it was very busy when we were there, but I’d imagine February might be a better time to visit.  The runs were interesting, but not as much variety as we are used to.  For us, probably a week is a bit long, but for those that love cruisy and gentle runs, this place would be heaven.

Because of the way the village is situated, and the base of the ski area is up very steep village roads, we had to be transported by the Kawamotoya staff every day to ski (this was done in an orderly and timely way – no trouble at all for the staff or us).  We arranged to leave our skis, stocks and ski boots and walking boots every day in lockers up at the ski area.  Then we would walk back to our accommodation at the end of each ski day in our walking boots.  Not really an effort, but I’d imagine this would bother some people.  

Really enjoyed Nozawa Onsen – it’s such an interesting village and we’re glad to have experienced it.  And we were particularly lucky to stay in lovely accommodation – the Kawamotoya Apartments were a great place to stay 😊

Thanks again, Hisae

Cheers

Margaret and Greg

Late Feb 2017

Your service was great, we had never been to Japan before and explained what type of town we were after and it was exactly what we were after. you communication through the whole booking process was excellent. Kawamotoya Ryokan was a great place to stay, the room had a wonderful view of the valley and was a nice walk to the bottom of the ski hill. The food and staff were also very good, highly recommended.

Leigh

Late December 2016

Our stay has been fantastic and I would recommend our hotel . The rooms are quite big and very confortable; the breakfast and restaurant is very good and provide international food , the hotel public bath is great , and finally : the staff is very nice, polite and helpful . We hope coming back soon :-)

thank you very much
Laure

Japanese Studio accommodating 1- 3 people, 33 sqm
Rates from 39,000 yen per apartment per night for up to 2 guests
The only apartment retaining some of the old design, the Japanese Studio accommodates up to 3 people with a super king-size bed (the mattresses can be separated to make two single beds). It also comes with a kitchenette, flat-screen TV, private toilet, and shower. 

Kitchen - Air-conditioning - High Definition SmartTV - Wi-Fi in the room - Washlet System - Vanity - Hair Dryer - Shampoo - Conditioner - Bath soap - Hand Towel - Bath Towel - Yukata - Tissue - Toilet paper - Tooth brush - Tooth paste - Slippers - Shower

One bedroom apartment, 48 sqm, accommodating 1-2 people
Rates from 40,000 yen per apartment per night for up to 2 guests
The One-Bedroom 48 sqm apartment accommodates up to 2 people with a super king-size bed (the mattresses can be separated to make two single beds). It also comes with a kitchenette, flat-screen TV, private toilet, shower and bathtub. 

Kitchen - Air-conditioning - High Definition SmartTV - Wi-Fi in the room - Washlet System - Vanity - Hair Dryer - Shampoo - Conditioner - Bath soap - Hand Towel - Bath Towel - Yukata - Tissue - Toilet paper - Tooth brush - Tooth paste - Slippers - Shower - Bath tub

Two bedroom apartment, 84 sqm accommodating up to 4 people 
Rates from 84,000 yen per apartment per night for up to 4 guests
This two bedroom 84 sqm apartment accommodates up to 4 people with a super king-size bed (the mattresses can be separated to make two single beds). Each bedroom is ensuite with its own private toilet, shower and bathtub. It also comes with a kitchenette and flat-screen TV.

Kitchen - Air-conditioning - High Definition SmartTV - Wi-Fi in the room - Washlet System - Vanity - Hair Dryer - Shampoo - Conditioner - Bath soap - Hand Towel - Bath Towel - Yukata - Tissue - Toilet paper - Tooth brush - Tooth paste - Slippers - Shower - Bath tub