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‘I went to Nozawa Onsen not sure what to expect,’ recounts Chris of his experience visiting this traditional hot spring village in winter. He was soon won over by the the friendliness of the locals, and the fantastic hospitality at the ryokan inn he stayed in. The show-stopper of Chris's visit w… Read More
Welcoming hot spring town with retro charm Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen carved itself a place on Japan's hot spring destination map just over 120 years ago in 1893. Times were tough, and to revive the local economy, the head of the town implemented a plan to dig for hot springs. Since the waters began… Read More
NAGANO CITY -> Convenient winter holiday base 79 minutes from Tokyo -> Close to the Hakuba Valley, Nozawa Onsen and the snow monkeys -> Local attractions include Zenkō-ji temple, a National Treasure of Japan Nagano City is more than a famous gateway for pilgrims to Zenkō-ji, its icon… Read More
The neighbouring town to the snow monkey park, full of charm and tradition Shibu Onsen is a quaint hot spring town in Nagano Prefecture that opens up behind a curtain of steam, revealing traditions and architecture of years passed, still standing tall and proud. The town's original spring-h… Read More
The bullet train journey from Tokyo through the Japan Alps to Ishikawa Prefecture is like being fast-forwarded through a Japanese winter hall of fame; a snow resort from the Nagano Winter Olympics here, a hot spring retreat that inspired a Nobel Prize-winning novel there. The pot of gold at the end… Read More
Maiko Maiko are the apprentice geisha of Kyoto, which remains a bastion of this antique entertainment culture in Japan today. Although they may come from any part of Japan to study the geisha arts, once they become maiko, all speak in the Kyoto dialect. Maiko live, study and work in the Gion… Read More
