Nozawa Onsen

Overview

So you take the very civilized escalator up from the heart of town to the base of the gondola and head up to the top where you’re greeted with some of Japan's best snow conditions. Every chair is swept before you sit on it and many of the quad chairs have bubbles to fight off the worst of the cold and keep you in supreme comfort in between runs.

Up on the hill, Nozawa Onsen promises the best in-bounds tree skiing in all of Honshu, offering tight powder turns right where you want them - on a solid, fall line that drops down from the top of the summit. Of course, there are also the mandatory immaculately groomed rolling runs perfect for sharp edges and crisp mornings along with enough low-angled terrain to satisfy the newbies.

The resort itself is owned and maintained by the local government body and they take tremendous care it so basically the final word on Nozawa Onsen is - beautiful town, awesome skiing.