Firstly all the guests and locals in Nozawa Onsen are fine which is great news.

Yesterday afternoon we experienced a fairly decent tremor in Nozawa Onsen but was not severe here.
It was major North of Tokyo in Sendai and even worse were the tsunamis that followed.

Then this morning at 4 am we were woken by a fairly strong tremor here in Nozawa.
It was followed by several after shocks which kept everyone on edge until the sun came up and things seemed to settle
Luckily we are all fine and at this stage damage is minimal in Nozawa Onsen.

Public transport and flights are on hold at the moment so some guests may have an extended stay as will be hard to get home for now
They are working on getting all the trains back up and running
It appears that the roads to Tokyo and Narita are passable

It is clear skies here which is great but the lifts are on hold for now

Hopefully things will get back to normal soon and we will try and keep you posted
Our thoughts and prayers are with all those poor souls North of Tokyo that have been affected.

Views from Villa Nozawa March 12th all calm after the quake

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Getting Loose under the Uenotaira Quad Nozawa- Self Portrait Matt Drew

This photo above was taken earlier in the season by a young lad by the name of Matt. He had a camera mounted on the end of a Fishing Pole and got some amazing shots around Nozawa in and out of the powder. Will try and post a few more soon. Thanks for the shots Matt and Zoe.

New Snow; 5cm

Base; 335cm

Was snowing nicely last night when went to bed but must not have lasted long as was only a dusting this morning.
About 5cm up top so should still be nice conditions on the slopes.

Yesterday was an awesome day on the slopes with lots of fresh snow, sunshine and no crowds. Was as good as any day this season especially in the morning. The sun started to heat up some of the south facing slopes down low as the day got on but was still nice and cold up top. With the occasional ice cream head ache being felt flying down through the trees at Yamabiko.

The forecast is for heavy snow to start falling from this afternoon and outside it has that feeling. Then sunshine coming thru for what should be a great weekend ahead in Nozawa Onsen.

On top of the downhill race and rail contest there is also a classic music concert on at Arena on Saturday night should be quite a cultural affair so be sure to slide on by can have an Onsen and a great meal there too.

Ski Shop in Nozawa Onsen Compass House - Yuta, Manami and Sumire chan

People often ask me where is a ski shop in Nozawa. We have 4 shops here in town. The most recent is Compass House photo above run by Yuta Ueno an X Games Champ and local gun skier and his wife Manami and equally good skier with their very cute baby Sumire and other staff Yuki. Has a great vibe and some good gear. For boarders the best is the Burton Shop called Dimension run by Takashi san also a cool set up. In Japan it is as much about the experience as the gear sometimes and both have a great feel with a decent range.

For the main stream gear Kanamori Sports is the longest standing in the centre of the Village. The resort also has a shop for bits and pieces under the Nagasaka Gondola. There are a number of other little ones around and a bigger one in Iiyama called S Cube. They get bigger the as the population grows and Nagano has a few good size stores. Then the Ski Shop mecca of Jimbocho in Tokyo is well worth a visit.
Happy shopping!

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Dumping in Nozawa again, heading up to the Lifts from Villa Nozawa

New Snow: 50cm

Base at Yamabiko; 340cm

Huge snow fall in Nozawa with 50cm of fresh being recorded overnight.
It started to snow very heavy from about 5pm yesterday and has not stopped.
Is going to be a powder hounds paradise on the mountain today with all this fresh snow and very few people around.

Can never understand why people are super keen in Januray and February then seem to forget about skiing and boarding in March, especially when it tends to consistently deliver great snow. Anyway more untracked conditions for the stayers!

Yesterday was a beautiful morning and nice up the top but a little crusty in places then got colder and the weather started to close in as the day got on.

The outlook is for the sun to make an appearance later today which it is trying to do now then more snow tomorrow followed by a fine weekend and then heavy snow again next week.

Good times just keep rolling in Nozawa.

Grooving down Skyline Nozawa March 2011

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Spring into Spring in Nozawa - Jay getting some air late March 2010

March is in full swing now and the snow is still excellent with a 320cm base and more on the way. If you are thinking of escaping the office and hitting the slopes now may be the time!

Light snow was falling in town early this morning but quickly cleared and we are looking at a pretty sunny day in Nozawa at the moment.
With the light dusting should make for a great day on the mountain.

Will make for a pleasant change to yesterday which had little visibility at the top. Snow quality was good with about 15cm of fresh snow and no one on slopes.

Looking like a heavy dump expected on Wednesday night now with temps dropping.
This coming weekend is a fun one in Nozawa with a the Hato Kuruma Cup race on which is open to anyone keen. The course is a top to bottom contest and fastest one on a ski or board down wins. Helmets must be worn. So wax up the planks and take the plunge.

Nozawa Onsen March 2011 another day off to the Office...

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