I am home now. In my comfortable and familiar lounge room with all the time in the world to finally look through the pictures I took on our trip. And my goodness I took millions of pictures… it is so effortless for me now with my little fuji camera. I snap away without even needing to look through the view finder. I simply test the settings for the light and shoot from the hip. I miss pictures here and there from the wrong angle but I finally have the chance to experience life through both my eyes and my lens. I no longer feel like i’m living through my pictures but living in both worlds equally.
My heart aches a little for Japan. Especially for the town that I am documenting in this post. Travelling with a loved one is so effortless. When I returned from my Indonesian travels in November I was very sad to leave but also so excited to return home and be half of the whole again. Returning from Japan feels different because even with a very different culture, a language barrier which meant we felt a little lonely (our own faults of course, we should have learnt Japanese!) and living out of a backpack, it just felt right. We both jokingly mused that we would never return home and write postcards to our families each week explaining that we were on the run from immigration. This time around I wasn’t so excited to return home… because I had home by my side. I wonder if everyone feels this way? Why do I long to be on an endless adventure? I’m already dreaming and counting down to the next time I will leave. This world is so big and full of the unknown. It has so many places to be discovered for the very first time.
This post is about our country-side adventure to a little, snow-filled town high up in the mountains. When we first booked our tickets to Tokyo I had already decided I wanted to see some of the country and catch at least one Shinkansen. So I picked this spot little on the map and I could never have imagined just how perfect it would be.
Waiting at the train station for the Shinkansen to arrive. I had no idea what to expect but I was terribly excited.
the Shinkansen travels at speeds of 240–320 km/h and yet you wouldn’t know it. The ride is smooth and calm, everyone is polite and quite and eating little packed lunches.
Martin snoozed from the moment we got on, but I spent over an hour just watching out of the window, completely captivated.
People on the platform as we pass through a station
I packed my own lunch on the train, a salad I bought from a shop at the station. Eating was very difficult for me in Japan being a vegetarian. Mainly because I spoke very little Japanese, but also because vegetarianism is a very rare and not fully understood thing in Japan, as shrimp and bacon are accompaniments in most meals!
More window watching.
We disembarked the Shinkansen in Nagano, and transferred to a bus which would take us the 75 minute ride to Nozawa Onsen, our little snow town. It began to softly snow while we were waiting for the bus and I danced around trying to catch the flakes on my tongue.
First sights of snow from the bus window, it finally began to sink in where we were going. I could never have pictured just how much snow there is, in my mind I just imagined sad, little, white puddles and not a winter wonderland.
The snow begins falling heavily outside as we make our way to the village. When we arrive we step off the bus into thick, heavy snow and we are both very grateful for our boots. I pull out the map and we start our hike to the lodge where we are staying. The snow is falling uncomfortable heavy now and gathering on our backpacks and beanies, I can barely see in front of us and the sun has almost set.
And then we make it. We are here in the warmth and welcoming lodge. It has cozy wooden walls and heated floors. The girl on the desk is so sweet, barely speaking a word of english but helping us as best she can. Martin asks her if we “pay later?” and she looks confused and quickly disappears into a side room, returning a moment later with a packet of matches… we then realised she thought he said “pay lighter?” and so we thank her and giggle as we go find our room.
We explored after dark in the heavily falling snow, I feel like I have stepped straight into a fairytale.
Exploring the town in the morning.
The buildings are so traditionally beautiful, the town is steeped in culture and it’s exactly what I had hoped.
Nozawa Onsen is known for it’s naturally occurring hot springs (Onsens), used for bathing and others for cooking. Our lodge didn’t have a shower room, but instead a traditional japanese bathing room, consisting of stools that you sit upon to clean yourself before siting in a hot Onsen. It was a very different experience and it took quite a lot of courage to openly bathe around others (men and women are separate of course).
Little shops in the snow.
Awkward tourist photo. I’m not fond of pictures of myself but you have to have at least a few when you’re on holiday!
We stopped for tea and coffee and to warm our bones.
Beautiful sunsets over the mountains.
We would walk around town bright, early and fresh in the morning after having a communal breakfast a the lodge.
Through streets to the ski slopes.
Mountains and mountains of snow taking my breath away.
Martin gearing up to snowboard the slopes. I felt so proud of him for taking the leap, he had only snowboarded once before on a high school snow trip, which is an entirely different thing to trying to hire gear in a country where there is little english and you’re not even sure where the easier slopes are.
I watched the other skiers while Martin was on the slopes. I’m too uncoordinated myself… and sadly have a fragile knee after dislocating it a year ago.
So I took myself to lunch at the cutest little ‘italian’ place.
In the afternoon it snowed again as we walked around town. Snow is very different to what i imagined, it’s soft unlike rain, and it clings to your clothes gently until it is bushed away, it gathers on your lips before quickly melting. It is utterly beautiful.
We had fallen in love with the traditional street food. So delicious and surprisingly all vegetarian.
The apple and cinnamon was by far my favourite. It was such a wonderful sensation to eat this hot, soft steamed bun while you’re face is tingling from the cold snow.
Dinner at a hidden ramen place.
Watching from our bedroom window as a man perilously clears his roof of snow.
Bathroom selfies with pretty wallpaper.
Snow sunsets warming my heart.
And just as quickly as we had arrived it was time to leave. We had spent three beautiful nights in this little snow town, and our hearts were full of excitement for our next adventures to Tokyo. If I had known just how much I would have missed this place I would have savoured the moments a little longer. For as soon as we had returned to the city my heart was longing for our beds upon the floor, the soft falling snow, and the belly warming street food. I have promised myself I will one day find my way back to this wonderful place.
Watching the snow from the bus window.
and a train ride back to Tokyo.
