Enjoying the Snow

It’s easy to spend your entire winter burrowed up indoors, eating mikan and knitting scarves being a cat lady/man, but why not see what this winter wonderland has to offer?

Skiing and Snowboarding

Iwate is home to around twenty ski resorts, and you can find them both inland and near the coast. Many of these resorts have English language services, and almost all of them have hot springs facilities nearby to soak off the ache of a long day at the slopes.

• Find a list of our resorts here.（外部リンク）

Onsen or Hot Springs

A long bath in a natural hot springs is a national pastime here in Japan. Some even have outdoor baths where you can enjoy watching the snow fall while keeping warm in the onsen. Most onsen facilities these days have English language posters explaining how to properly use the onsen （basically: just shower and clean yourself before entering the onsen）.

• Find a list of Iwate onsen here.（外部リンク）

Snow Festivals

Ward off the chill by going to the Koiwai Snow Festival in February – they’ve got snow sculptures, sledding for the kids, and individual igloos where you can eat grilled lamb with your family. If you’d rather stay in town, you can walk around Morioka’s Snow Illumination Festival in early February, where they string lights throughout Iwate Park and create tiny snow lanterns lining the paths.

Nabe

Nabe is the word for a Japanese hot pot meal. Simmer vegetables, meats, fish, tofu – anything you like! – in a variety of different broths, and gather ‘round the kotatsu table to spend a relaxing evening with your friends and family.