Kenashi Location
5789-3 Toyosato, Nozawa Onsen, Shimotakai-gun, Nagano 389-2502, Japan
Check In
Kenashi employs a full time house manager, Aya who lives onsite in part of the bottom floor of the house. She can help you as much or as little as you need, from fresh towels right through to restaurant suggestions, making dinner reservations and taxi bookings. Aya, while Japanese, is fluent in English and is well versed in snow culture, a great skier and has spent many years in Australia working on ski fields in the Japanese off season.
Prior to arrival, advise Aya of your estimated arrival time to Nozawa Onsen and she will meet you in the Karasawa parking lot to help bring your luggage across the snow, by way of a 4 wheeler and luggage toboggans, straight to the Kenashi front door. Check-in time is 3.00pm and check-out is 10.00am. If you arrive early you can leave your bags at Kenashi, explore the village and grab a bite to eat, until check in time.
The Room
The Not Normal Living Team booked the whole of the middle floor for our 1 week stay in Nozawa Onsen. The Middle floor accommodates up to 7 people. It has three bedrooms in total (two bedrooms with king beds and one bedroom with 3 single beds) The beds in the 3rd room can be configured into 1 x king bed and 1 x single bed. All the bedrooms have plenty of space, comfortable bedding and phenomenal views into the Myoko valley.
Facilities
Kenashi is the pinnacle of luxury on-slope, ski in-ski out accommodation. It is a 3 floored, private house that has been fully renovated with both modern and traditional touches throughout and opened its doors in December 2017. Each floor has its own kitchen, bathrooms, living and dining areas as well as a washer and dryer.
The Middle floor has views from its living room right up Karasawa Valley, with quiet ski runs for all abilities means you can catch a few early runs, duck inside for a cuppa or morning tea and get easily clip your skis back on and glide down less than 30 metres and jump back on one of two chair lifts. The living room is equipped with LCD TV and all the comforts of home, with a large lounge and comfy beanbags. There is also a drying room inside the front door for the exclusive use of the the middle floor guests Each morning your boots, gear and gloves will be toasty warm and ready. There is also a washer and dryer available for guest use and free wifi throughout the house.
Dining
Kenashi has a full size and brand new kitchen with a large refrigerator and freezer, gas stove and hotplates, toaster, microwave, toaster oven, electric kettle and coffee maker. The choice is yours – cook in the well appointed kitchen with seating for 8 around the long bench table or mix it up with experience some of the myriad of food and dining options in the village, all within a 10 minute walk away. Some of the local cafes and restaurants will even provide take away. From traditional Japanese ominyaki, to fresh Swiss bread, pizza and sweets to Aussie style gourmet burgers and fries, you will find something from all areas of the globe and to satisfy the most picky to the most adventurous eaters!
Hot Tip
Too tired to cook and need some extra TLC on those snowy nights? Kenashi has your solution! Aya, the house manager, for a small charge of around $AUD20 per person, will cook and deliver a delicious meal. Indulge in Japanese vegetable and meat hot pots, steamed rice and a platters of fresh ingredients for an authentic hand rolled Maki-Zushi experience including Japanese omelette, fresh tuna, salmon and octopus and prawns. This is a must do while staying at Kenashi. The food is delicious, plentiful and hearty and Aya just brims with energy, passion and her hospitality is hard to beat!
Tired muscles from a hard day on the slopes? Nozawa Onsen has you spoiled for choice, the village is home to 13 free public onsen bath houses and a handful of private onsen that will give you a traditional Japanese hot spring bath experience that you will never forget and will want to keep repeating throughout your stay. Eat, sleep, ski, onsen and repeat!
Are you a Powderhound? The Resort has you covered, with some of the best “pow” powder snow in all of Japan, over fifty kilometres of trails or pistes from 1,650 metres elevation, a massive 297 hectares of skiing and boarding surface and maybe best of all, interconnected lifts and gondolas to access the whole resort with ease, Nozawa Onsen is truly your one stop skiing, onsen and foodies paradise.
More Information
Kenashi, Nozawa Onsen – Home Page
Image Gallery
