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The most authentically Japanese skiing and hot-spring village around here is NOZAWA ONSEN , nestled at the base of Kenashi-yama (1650m), 50km northeast of Nagano. The ski resort, proudly owned by the five thousand villagers, has a lively, yet traditional atmosphere, aided in no small part by the thirteen free bathhouses dotted along the narrow, twisting streets. Most impressive (and crowded) is the Oyu bathhouse , housed in a temple-like wooden building in the centre of the village; each side has two pools, one of which is so hot that it's almost impossible to get into. Nozawa claims to be the "birthplace of Japanese skiing"; this was the place where, in 1930, Hannes Schneider, an Austrian who popularized the two-pole technique, gave skiing demonstrations to an awestruck audience. One of the resort's runs is named after Schneider and photos of the man in action - impeccably dressed in suit and tie - can be seen in the Japan Museum of Skiing (daily except Thurs 9am-5pm; Y300) in a white, church-like building at the bottom of the Hikage slope. The resort, which hosted the biathlon events at the 1998 Olympics on its excellent cross-country course, has lots of English signs and varied terrain, from long easy runs for beginners - especially the one on the far right as you face the mountain - to some of Japan's most challenging expert runs. Grand Prix and Jumping are two huge tsunamis of snow and ice that will put any expert through their paces, and if you're still hungry for more seek out Kurokura. It isn't marked on the map and you'll have to make friends with a local to find it, but if you're in shape and you like a challenge it's worth the effort. A one-day lift pass costs Y4600 and the season runs from mid-December to early May. If you can, time your visit to coincide with the spectacular Doso-jin fire festival held every January 15, when a burning portable shrine is paraded though the village, followed by a fire battle culminating in a monstrous bonfire. JR trains run to Togari-Nozawa-Onsen on the Iiyama line, around one hour by local train from Nagano; Nozawa Onsen is a twenty-minute bus or taxi ride from the station. It's also possible to catch direct buses from Nagano; check with the Nagano information office for the timetable, or with the tourism section of the Nozawa village office (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm; tel 0269/85-3111), where there's an English-speaker. Nozawa Onsen's tourist information centre (daily 8.30am-5.30pm; tel 0269/85-3155), opposite the Oyu bathhouse, has English brochures and maps. Accommodation rates in Nozawa Onsen usually cover both breakfast and dinner. The prettiest place to stay is the Western-style Pension Schnee (tel 0269/85-2012; Y15,000-20,000) on the mountainside next to the ski museum - it's surrounded by snow in winter and flowers in summer, is run by a friendly couple who were once Olympic competitors, and has a great restaurant. For around the same price, you could also try the Marukaneya (tel 0269/85-2203; Y15,000-20,000), a recently refurbished inn closer to the village centre, with an English-speaking owner, offering tatami rooms and home-style cooking. In the heart of the village, near the restaurants and bars, is the upmarket, Western-style Nozawa St Anton Hotel (tel 0269/85-3422; Y20,000-30,000). There are plenty of restaurants and cafes around the ski slopes; don't miss sampling onsen manju , deliciously plump dumplings with different fillings, best bought from the street vendors out of wooden steam-boxes. To cool down after your onsen, slip into Stay , a convivial bar in the centre of town, named after the Jackson Browne song.
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