Onsen Archives - Otashift

Nozawa Onsen: Ski And Snowboard in The Best Hot Spring Paradise

May 7, 2021July 3, 2019 by Mona

In early April, we went to ski for the very first time. We gathered up our courage, brought all our excitement, and drove a bit under 4 hours from Tokyo to the town (technically a village) of Nozawa Onsen (sometimes written as nozawaonsen), in Nagano prefecture, north-west of Tokyo. NOZAWA ONSEN Nozawa Onsen is a … Read more

Japanese Hot Springs: All You Need to Know to Onsen Like a Pro

May 7, 2021June 25, 2019 by Mona

I can’t tell you how many times foreigners asked me the same question over and over “Even though we say Japanese are shy, how could you be naked in hot spring with others in Japan? You guys are so crazy!” To begin, we call hot springs “Onsen (=温泉)” in Japanese. For Japanese, because being naked … Read more