Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [66]
Onsen Ryokan
Nishimuraya Honkan (Kinosaki, Kansai;) If you want to sample the ultimate in top-end onsen ryokan, this is the place. With several fine indoor and outdoor baths and elegant rooms, your stay here will be a highlight of your trip to Japan, and will shed some light on why the Japanese consider an onsen vacation to the be ultimate in relaxation.
Onsen Ski Town
Nozawa Onsen (Nagano, Central Honshū;) What could be better than a day spent on the slopes, followed by a soak in a Jacuzzi? Well, how about a day on the slopes followed by a soak in a real natural hot spring? This is skiing the Japanese way. This fine little ski town boasts some first-rate skiing, reliable snow, ripping alpine views and no fewer than 13 free onsen. Best of all, the onsen here are scalding hot, which is a nice contrast to the snow outside and feels wonderful on tired skier’s legs.
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ONSEN ETIQUETTE
First: relax. That’s what onsen are all about. You’ll be relieved to hear that there really is nothing tricky about taking an onsen bath. If you remember just one basic point, you won’t go too far wrong. This is the point: the water in the pools and tubs is for soaking in, not washing in, and it should only be entered after you’ve washed or rinsed your body.
This is the drill. Pay your entry fee, if there is one. Rent a hand towel if you don’t have one. Take off your shoes and put them in the lockers or shelves provided. Find the correct changing room/bath for your gender (man: ; woman: ). Grab a basket, strip down and put your clothes in the basket. Put the basket in a locker and bring the hand towel in with you.
Once in the bathing area, find a place around the wall (if there is one) to put down your toiletries (if you have them) and wash your body, or, at least, rinse your body. You’ll note that some scofflaws dispense with this step and just stride over to the tubs and grab a bucket (there are usually some around) and splash a few scoops over their ‘wedding tackle’. Some miscreants can’t even be bothered with this step and plunge right into the tubs unwashed and unrinsed. Frankly, we like to think that these people will be reincarnated into a world where there are only cold-water showers for their bathing needs.
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Skiing in Japan
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COSTS
GETTING TO THE SLOPES
WHERE TO SKI
WHAT TO BRING
CAN YOU SAY SKI IN JAPANESE?
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With over 600 ski resorts and some of the most reliable snow anywhere, Japan may be the skiing world’s best-kept secret – the perfect place to combine some world-class skiing with an exotic vacation. Japan offers stunning mountain vistas, great runs at all levels of difficulty, kilometres of groomed runs along with ripping mogul runs, snowboard parks, friendly locals and good food. And let’s not forget Japan’s incredible variety of onsen (hot springs) for that all-important après-ski soak.
With so many ski resorts, you’re spoiled for choice in Japan. Powder hounds flock to Hokkaidō’s Niseko, which offers the world’s most reliable lift-served powder snow. Others head to the sprawling Shiga Kōgen resort in Central Honshū, by some estimations the largest ski resort in the world. Those who want a little European atmosphere head for nearby Nozawa Onsen, which, like its name suggests, offers great hot springs as well as excellent skiing. In addition to headlining places like these, you’ll also find plenty of small local areas near the big areas, and these are often great for families.
Skiing in Japan is remarkably reasonable: it actually costs less to ski here than in comparable areas in North America and Europe. For information on costs, see below. It’s also quite easy to get from gateways like Tokyo’s Narita International Airport and Osaka’s Kansai International Airport to the slopes. For details, see Getting to the Slopes (opposite).