Echigo Yuzawa Onsen: Immerse yourself in the enchanting snow country culture
Echigo Yuzawa Onsen: Immerse yourself in the enchanting snow country culture
Located in Yuzawa Town at the southernmost part of Niigata Prefecture, Echigo Yuzawa Onsen is easily accessible from Tokyo via the Joetsu Shinkansen in 70–90 minutes. The area features not only an onsen town in front of the station but also ski resorts scattered throughout the area, making it a popular snow resort readily accessible from Tokyo. This region is also known as the setting of “Snow Country” (Yukiguni) a famous novel by Kawabata Yasunari, a Nobel Prize-winning Japanese author. The novel is a classic of modern Japanese literature, describing a bittersweet relationship between a man and woman in a town confined by snow. Echigo Yuzawa Onsen still retains that quaint atmosphere today.
The water varies by source, so visiting multiple onsen to experience the differences is recommended. There are various onsen facilities, including five public bathhouses, many onsen ryokan hotels with character, and “hidden” mountain hot springs (closed in winter), accessible only by trekking. Some facilities offer onsen baths with views of a snowy landscape. Soaking in a bath while enjoying the snow is a unique winter experience.
┃Ponshukan
The pleasures of the onsen town are not limited to the hot springs. “Ponshukan” at Echigo-Yuzawa Station offers sake tasting of over 125 brands from all breweries across Niigata Prefecture, one of Japan’s top sake-producing regions.
“Ponshukan” also has an onsen facility, where visitors can experience a “sake bath,” in which natural hot spring water is blended with sake for bathing. The faint aroma of sake in the bath water helps you relax and is said to enhance the effects of the bath.
Ponshukan Echigo Yuzawa Branch has a signature product called “bakudan onigiri.” It is more than twice the size of a regular onigiri rice ball and is carefully handmade using delicious Niigata rice.
┃Yukigunikan
The “Yukigunikan” museum, located near the station, showcases the world of the novel “Snow Country” and traditional local life, allowing visitors to soak in a quiet, poetic atmosphere.
One of the highlights of “Yukigunikan” is a “Komako’s room.” You can feel the bittersweet atmosphere in the room as if the geisha Komako in the novel is actually standing there.
┃Ski resorts in Yuzawa Town
Each ski resort in Yuzawa Town holds its own creative fireworks display in winter. The fireworks are even more vivid against the crisp winter air (from December to March, depending on the venue).
Furthermore, Echigo Yuzawa is a perfect place to experience the mountains’ natural beauty throughout the year. Various outdoor activities are available if you travel a bit further, including Lake Daigenta, Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway, and Naeba Dragondola with Japan’s longest span, making it a great place for travelers with children.
■ From the editor
You can visit “Kiyotsukyo Gorge, Tunnel of Light,” made famous on social media, from Echigo Yuzawa. You will be amazed by the vast landscape created by the fusion of nature and art! In winter, a limited-time tour bus connects Echigo-Yuzawa Station and Kiyotsukyo Gorge.
＜For bus tour inquiries to Kiyotsukyo Gorge Tunnel＞
Snow Country Tourism Activity Center
TEL：025-785-5353
Mail:info@yuzawaonsen.gr.jp
https://www.snow-country-tourism.jp/pages/8258669/page_202409171236
┃Echigo-Yuzawa information
Access: Tokyo Sta. → 70-90 min by Joetsu Shinkansen → Echigo-Yuzawa Sta
More Info: Yuzawa Tourism & Community Development Organization
TEL: 025-785-5505
https://www.e-yuzawa.gr.jp/language_eng/
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Writer
Ayumi
I am Ayumi from Chiba Prefecture. I love sweets. I majored in Japanese history in my university. I have visited many historic sites from the ancient days to the modern days on my trips. I have visited about 100 castles of various sizes. I am also obsessed with visiting “anime pilgrimage sites,” the locations featured in popular anime and manga.
