Nozawa Onsen snow resort (Nozawa-onsen)

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www.nozawaski.com/winter/en/index.php

elevation difference: 1,085 m
20 cableways

Nozawa Onsen Village is located at the foot of the ski resort, which spans across three main areas. The resort is a large ski area that opened over seventy years ago.

Covering 297 hectares (730 acres), the southern part of the resort was used for biathlon competitions at the 1998 Winter Olympics.The Olympic venue consisted of two trails each 4 km (2.5 mi) in length along with a firing range consisting of 30 stations.

A charming hot spring village located at the foot of Kenashi-yama Mountain which is home to around 5000 people. Nozawa Onsen is said to date back to 8th century but has been renowned for its onsen hot springs since the Edo period. Legend is that the first hot spring in Nozawa Onsen was discovered by a bear and it was later shown to a hunter by an injured bear.

As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 4,437 and a density of 76.57 persons per km². The total area is 57.95 km². In recent times it has also gained a great reputation for its skiing. In the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Nozawa Onsen hosted the biathlon. The village hosts a popular fire festival (dosojin matsuri - 道祖神祭り) every January.