Taste the bounty of nature! Nozawaonsenmura, Nagano Prefecture

  • Nagano
  • Sightseeing
Provided by Naraya Ryokan.

What is Nozawa Onsen Village like?

Nozawana pickles

*Provided by Naraya Ryokan.

Do you know <野沢温泉村>? It is a small village located in the northeastern part of Nagano Prefecture with an area of 57.96㎢ and a population of 3,110 (as of November 1, 2022). Later, Toyosato Village, which was established in 1889 when the town and village system was enacted, changed its name to <野沢温泉村>on August 18, 1953, and has been incorporated and merged to the present day. Incidentally, it is the only village in Japan with "Onsen" in its name.


When you hear the word "Nozawa", the first thing that comes to mind is hot spring or pickled nozawana, but the nozawana is a vegetable that has been cultivated mainly in this <野沢温泉村>. In 1756, the priest of Kenmeiji Temple in the village brought back the seeds of Tennoji turnips grown in Tennoji, Osaka, and it is said that their descendants became nozawana, and there is a Nozawana Cradle of Nozawana monument in the precinct of the temple. There is a monument in the precincts of the temple where Nozawana originated.

Introducing some of the village's most popular attractions!

Ogama

It is designated as a natural monument of the village. The name comes from the fact that in the past, people soaked the hemp they harvested in a pool of < Asagama>hot water to make the skins easier to peel. Today, it is used by villagers to boil vegetables, wild vegetables, and eggs, and is called the kitchen of Nozawa Onsen. This < Asagama>has five hot water puddles (cauldron, boiling pot, round pot, bamboo-shin pot, and lower pot), each of which has a different temperature, so they are used differently for boiling vegetables and eggs, depending on the temperature.

Please note that although < Asagama>can be viewed freely from the outside, only a limited number of people are allowed to enter for the purpose of preventing danger and for management and operation. You can make onsen egg at some of the out-spa baths and at the mini onsen square "Yurari". Eggs can be purchased at stores in the hot spring resort area.
Asagama
There are four cauldrons in this area: the cauldron, the boiling cauldron, the round cauldron, and the bamboo-shin cauldron, and Shimogama is located a short distance down the road from here.
The cauldron is one of the five hot spring pools.

Outside hot spring

Nozawa Onsen has 13 public bathhouses called < Outside Hot Spring>, all of which offer natural hot spring water. The reason why natural hot springs can be enjoyed in Nozawa Onsen is due to the system of "yunomates," a group of villagers who have been carefully managing the out-spa as a common property of the community since the Edo period (1603-1868).
It is also a good idea to visit the out-spa baths.

< Outside Hot Spring>
Akiba-no-yu, Asagama-no-yu, Oyu, Kamitera-no-yu, Kawarayu, Kuma-no-Tearai-yu, Juodo-no-yu, Nitta-no-yu, Mayu, Taki-no-yu, Nakao-yu, Matsuba-no-yu, Yokochi-no-yu
Oyu is the symbol of Nozawa Onsen. The beautiful architecture of the bathhouse is eye-catching.
Asagama-no-yu. The name "Asagama" is written "Asagama" here.

Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort

Along with the hot springs, Nozawa Onsen Village's most famous attraction is < Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort>. Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023, this ski resort has 44 slopes centered on the 1,650-meter-high Mount Kenashi and facing the hot spring resort area.

Although the word "ski resort" conjures up images of winter, some gondolas are in operation from summer to fall, and it is recommended to visit in summer when the entire mountain turns deep green, or in fall when it is colored red, yellow, and orange. I visited for the first time in autumn, and although the weather was unfortunately cloudy, I was overwhelmed by the beautiful autumn leaves decorating the surrounding mountains and the hot spring and Iiyama cityscape spreading out below.

Some of the gondolas have skeleton-type floors and others have designs of Nasky, the < Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort>character, so it will be fun to see which one comes along.
Beautiful view from the top of the mountain.

Courtesy of Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort.
The Nasuki gondola going through the autumn leaves.
< Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort> Official website

Nozawa Onsen Distillery

The < Nozawa Onsen Distillery>opened on Thursday, December 15, 2022. The former canning factory was renovated. While the interior is bare concrete and rebar, the design also has the warmth of wood, with many barrels arranged as if it were a distillery. Also, one piece of equipment from the days when it was a canning factory still remains, giving visitors a glimpse of what the distillery was like back in the day.

Gin, one of the spirits, is made at this distillery. It is famous for cocktails such as martinis, gin and tonics, and Singapore slings. The gin is made from juniper berries, which are the fruit of a coniferous tree called the Western juniper, and is characterized by the addition of the bounty of nature in Nozawaonsen Village. The spring water and botanicals, such as locally grown cedar and black lichen, are used in the production of Nozawa Onsen. The distiller actually smells and selects the ingredients he uses, and even a single plant has a different aroma depending on its leaves, flowers, trunk, branches, and roots. Even a single plant has a different aroma depending on its leaves, flowers, trunk, branches, and roots.

Although we were not able to sample the gin, we were able to enjoy the aromas of three different types of gin that were being bottled when we visited: CLASSIC DRY GIN, NOZAWA GIN, and IWAI GIN. NOZAWA GIN is made from local trees such as Japanese cedar and Kuromoji, which gives it a somewhat calming aroma that is reminiscent of being in a forest, while at the same time being very much like an alcoholic beverage. The last one, IWAI GIN, is made with the image of the green season from spring to summer, so it has a fresh aroma. Personally, I liked the aroma of NOZAWA GIN. I wanted to drink it...!
Inside the building with many barrels.
From left to right: NOZAWA GIN, CLASSIC DRY GIN, and IWAI GIN.

We went for a tasting!

About 3 months after I first wrote this article, I went back to < Nozawa Onsen Distillery>and did the tasting that I could not do last time!
When I visited last time, there were 3 kinds of GIN, NOZAWA GIN, CLASSIC GIN, and IWAI GIN, but one new kind was added. The name is "SHISO GIN. It is made from red shiso juice handmade by "Haus St. Anton" in the center of Nozawa Onsen town, with the addition of green shiso and applewood from Nakano City, Nagano Prefecture. The shiso flavor is unique to this product, but it also has a refreshing taste. We also tasted the other three varieties, and found that they all had a strong flavor based on the concept.

The four gins we tasted this time have all received international acclaim and won four gold medals, the most in Japan, in the gin category at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023, an international type of competition held in the United States in April 2023.
In addition, the company's logo and other design elements won the Best of the Best in the Brands & Communication Design category of the Red Dot Award 2023 held in Germany. The brand has received high acclaim not only for its gin, but also for its design and branding.

< Nozawa Onsen Distillery>You can now buy it at Furusato, but if you visit there, you can also enjoy a tasting of these four types for 500 yen (*) while listening to the staff's story.

Please stop by at when you visit Nozawaonsenmura.
The glass with the red mark on the far right is the new SHISO GIN.
Stylish lighting using bottles.
< Nozawa Onsen Distillery> Official website

Let's stay at a Ryokan!

Naraya Ryokan

This is a small 9-room hot-spring inn located not far from Asagama, which we introduced earlier. Founded in 1913, it is also a long-established inn built over 100 years ago. The warmth of the wood can be enjoyed to the full, with large beams, thick pillars, and floors polished to a gleaming shine, and the high atrium of the minka-style building is overwhelming.
The warmth of the wood, the warm hospitality of the proprietress, and the warm hot spring baths are the three warmth that will make you feel welcome.
A minka-style building with the warmth of wood.
An indoor bath where you can enjoy hot water from its own hot spring.
< Naraya Ryokan> Official website
<奈良屋旅館>We recommend that you make a reservation with "JR East View Dynamic Rail Package" for your stay in Japan!

Ryokan Saka-ya

Located next to Oyu, one of the outside hot springs, is a long-established hot-spring hotel that has been in operation for 18 generations. < Ryokan SAKAYA> By adjusting the temperature of the naturally gushing spring water on the premises without adding water, you can enjoy the onsen without losing its original composition. The unique atmosphere, which is dimly lit even in the daytime, is full of the onsen atmosphere, and is a healing space where you can unwind from your daily fatigue.

Both photos courtesy of Ryokan Sakaya.
Ryokan SAKAYA shines in the evening darkness.
You can enjoy the sulfur spring water from its own hot spring.
< Ryokan SAKAYA>Official website
< Ryokan SAKAYA>We recommend that you book your stay in Tokyo, Japan with "JR East View Dynamic Rail Package"!

At the end

What do you think of <野沢温泉村>, where you can fully enjoy the great outdoors?
Spring is the season of budding buds, summer is the season of dripping greenery, autumn is the season of rich colors, and winter is the season of silvery silver.
Please visit us at <野沢温泉村>.
< Nozawa Onsen Tourist Association>Official homepage
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