Top Things to do in Shimotakai-gun
10 Nature & Parks in Shimotakai-gun That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Shimotakai-gun, Japan including Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, Nozawa Onsen Public Baths (soto-yu), Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen, Shiga Kogen Ski Area, Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort, Kijimadaira Yamabiko no Oka Koen, Okushiga Kogen Ski Area, Ryuoo Mountain Park, Shigakogen Yakebitaiyama Ski Area.
Restaurants in Shimotakai-gun
1. Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,691 reviews
Reviewed By MichelleSCapeTownSA - Cape Town Central, South Africa
An incredible place, Snow Monkey Park must be one of the world’s most unique attractions and is one of my favourite memories of Japan. The park is small and there is a 30/40-minute easy walk to reach it - the walk is wonderful and through a forest. I visited in April and was able to see a lot of baby monkeys, even on a hot day. They are wild but used to people, so they get close and walk around quite freely. You can see them all around, they play on the rocks and in the water too. When things get heated between the young ones the adults’ step in. Things either calm down fast or the youngsters ensure they move a good distance away and continue being cheeky - super cute. We walked back from the park all the way down to Yudanaka station via the beautiful Shibu Onsen village. This lovely scenic walk starts in the forest, then makes its way through the cobblestoned lanes surrounded by traditional wooden ryokan (Japanese inns) of Shibu Onsen along the Yokoyugawa River. It takes around one to two hours and is worth doing if you have the time – a lot of history, quaint sights and beauty to take in.
2. Nozawa Onsen Public Baths (soto-yu)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 139 reviews
In the popular Nozawa Onsen area there are 13 individual baths called "soto-yu" (public baths). The history of hot springs go back to around the 800 AD.
Reviewed By Vuelalupita
Nozawa onsen is a charming town, and the efforts by the local authorities to promote its bathing culture resulted in a cute little booklet to collect ink-free stamps! I loved the approach, and used it to visit 10 different sites in town. It was in Japanese, but had numbers so I could figure out locations. At the end, I was awarded with an original towel with design by artist Taro Okamoto, so pretty! I recommend it for other travellers they do this, it costs less than 500 yen and makes a great adventure of your visit to the town. I arrived on a snowy/rainy day, and the information office went as far as to lent me a handkerchief to wipe the stamps! I loved their care for the utmost details, very happy with all the experience.
3. Nozawa Onsen
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 295 reviews
Nozawa Onsen is located just one hour’s drive from Nagano City in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture – a charming hot spring village located at the foot of Kenashi-yama Mountain which is home to around 4,000 people. The village is said to date back to 8th century but has been renowned for it’s hot springs and traditional inns since the Edo period. More recently Nozawa has also gained popularity as a ski area that features a great variety of terrain and amazing snow that’s hard to match.
Reviewed By ToniaM927 - Tweed Heads, Australia
Nozawa Onsen is the most gorgeous little ski village, comes to life from 2pm. Skiing is awesome. Great places to eat. Easy to get around by foot. Loving our stay.
4. Shiga Kogen
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 36 reviews
Reviewed By Selinthia - Vergennes, United States
My husband and I visited the Shiga Kogen area in January and were impressed. The resort area is very large with great interconnectivity. The conditions in January are fabulous!
5. Shiga Kogen Ski Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 434 reviews
Reviewed By 1pixie_12 - Shenzhen, China
Amazingly large skiing area with great, fluffy powder snow. Fantastic tree runs and great pistes too. Loads of lifts with friendly staff
6. Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 743 reviews
Reviewed By MadamNomad
There are already lots of reviews here that wax poetic about the quality of Nozawa’s deep powder and wonderful ski resort. So instead, I’ll share a few thoughts on the village area surrounding the 3 base stations of the ski resort and ski-in/ski-out options. For hotel accommodations, each of these areas has PLUSES and MINUSES. Note: when looking at a village tourist map or the ski resort piste map, be aware that these maps are typically drawn rotated with NORTH on the left. The 3 base areas (listed from North to South): 1) HIKAGE Gondola: access by the “Yu Road” or the “Shinyu Pair Lift” At the northern end of the village is Hikage station. Hikage station is the ski resort’s hub which has a gondola, a welcome center, a large children’s snow park, shops, cafes, equipment rentals, ski school, and a zipline base station. Even if you’re not a skier/snowboarder, Hikage station is a fun place to hang out on a café balcony to sip coffee/beer and people-watch. Despite Hikage being the hub, this base station actually sits above the village, and visitors must access the station by either the “Yu Road” (an escalator-like moving walk) or by the “Shinyu Pair Lift” (a free ski lift that carries visitors to the front of the Japan Ski Museum from where it is a very short distance to ski/walk down to the Hikage gondola). HIKAGE PLUSES: The village region immediately below Hikage station is the scenic, historic heart of the village that everyone photographs. Here you will find the greatest concentration of restaurants, cafes, bars/pubs, shops, onsens, shrines, and strolling visitors, plus many lodging options. Also, on this north end of the village is where the Dosojin Fire Festival is held. HIKAGE MINUSES: Allow ~10 minutes’ travel time to ride either the “Yu Road” or “Shinyu Pair Lift” between the village and Hikage station at the start and end of your ski day. As this is the heart of the village, there is very limited parking for cars. 2) NAGASAKA Gondola On Google Maps, the Nagasaka station is designated as “Nozawa Onsen Ski Resort”. Nagasaka is situated midway between the two other base stations. Nagasaka station offers many of the ski services of Hikage, minus the kids’ fun park. NAGASAKA PLUSES: In contrast to Hikage station which requires transit by either the “Yu Road” or “Shinyu Pair Lift”, the Nagasaka Gondola station is at village level, so you can walk right up to it from your hotel. The village area surrounding Nagasaka, in addition to having many lodging accommodations, also has restaurants & pubs. From the Nagasaka gondola, it’s a 10 min walk to the village center. There is a new parking lot at this station. NAGASAKA MINUSES: The Nagasaka gondola station doesn’t have as much of the atmospheric vibe of the Hikage gondola station. 3) KARASAWA Link At the southernmost end of Nozawa Onsen village is Karasawa station which has a lift that carries skiers up the ridge from where they can ski down to the Nagasaka Gondola. KARAWAWA PLUSES: At Karasawa, like at Nagasaka, you can walk directly to the lift from your hotel. There are a few restaurants, plus a nice little supermarket at the Nakao bus stop. Lots of parking. KARASAWA MINUSES: The Karasawa base area is more distant from the heart of the village, but the distance is walkable (~15-20 min). What the hotels here lack in central location, they make up in hospitality. Many of them offer in-house dining and shuttle service to the village center. 4) SKI-IN/SKI-OUT Nozawa does have a limited number of SKI-IN/SKI-OUT accommodations. There is a cluster of hotels at the top of the “Shinyu Pair Lift” near the Japan Ski Museum, and another cluster of hotels on the Paradise ski run higher up on the mountain. Arriving hotel guests are brought to these hotels by snowmobile or snowcat. SKI-IN/SKI-OUT PLUSES: You’re right in the midst of the skiing excitement on the mountain. SKI-IN/SKI-OUT MINUSES: Depending on how high up the mountain your hotel is, you may have limited-to-no access to the après ski scene in the village after the lifts close.
7. Kijimadaira Yamabiko no Oka Koen
8. Okushiga Kogen Ski Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 169 reviews
Reviewed By Di5151 - Exmouth, Australia
A perfect ski area for learners and experienced skiers. The runs are long and wide with not the crowds. There is also a terrain park which can be a lot of fun. The main black run is wide and groomed. Down near the gondola station are a few great warm spots for hot chocolate or a curry.
9. Ryuoo Mountain Park
10. Shigakogen Yakebitaiyama Ski Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 77 reviews
Shiga Kogen is the biggest ski area in Japan, and it has 19 connected ski resorts. The main resort here is Yakebitaiyama that offers various ski trails for all levels on a huge hill covered with “Platinum Snow”. There are 3 Shiga Kogen Prince Hotels (East, South and West) at the base of Yakebitaiyama. This area is also popular for Snow Monkey watching.
Reviewed By Z5768PPmarkp - Sarina, Australia
Whilst the Yakebitaiyama area can be a bit more busy than other areas on the mountain it has nice wide/fast runs. We had lots of groomed powder whilst we were there.
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