This is a cozy cottage with a studio layout. Nest has a full (double) sized bed. There is a sofa bed in the living room as well. Please let us know if you want to use it so we can provide bedding. The kitchen is equipped with an IH stovetop and appliances such as a toaster, microwave, kettle and rice cooker. The main room also has underfloor heating. Large windows look out over the river valley. Nozawa Onsen and Mt. Kosha are visible on clear days. There is one washlet toilet with a heated seat in the unit bathroom. There is also plenty of space in the garage by the front door for coats, boots, skis, and snowboards. May through October, camping chairs, table and sun shade tent are provided. You can bring your own BBQ or rent one from us: BBQ set including 2Kg charcoal, new grill nets, and firelighters ￥2200. Nearby summer activities include kayaking at Hokuryuko Lake (car 15min) and hiking on the Shinetsu trail - access to the trail from Togari Ski Resort just 10mins on foot!
There is also a parking garage for one small car (4.2 meters long and 2.3 meters high). Larger cars may use MTN Holidays' car parking space nearby.
Nest is located at Togari Onsen in the heart of northern Nagano’s snow country. It is an easy three-minute walk (even in ski boots!) to the lift of Togari Ski Resort. The bus stop is 3 mins walk. Togari Nozawa Onsen (Togarinozawaonsen) station is about 20 minutes away on foot, or a few minute drive. Nozawa Onsen is a 15-minute drive (about ¥4000 taxi fare) and Madarao is about 40-mins by car.
Togari Onsen is a great place to spend the winter season. The resort gets tons of fresh snowfall, the views are fantastic, and there are plenty of facilities to make your stay a great one. There are numerous restaurants and bars and a fantastic onsen hot spring complete with outside bath all within easy walking distance of Nest. Togari is not nearly as crowded as Hakuba or Nozawa Onsen, but much more convenient than Madarao or Myoko in my opinion. It is the best of both worlds!
Children and extra beds
Up to 2 guests including children are included in the whole-house rate. Children under 3 years old are accepted as a plus 1 free of charge, but please be aware that this unit has steep stairs that may not be suitable for very young children.
Pets
1 small-sized pet is allowed free of charge.
Please check manners and rules for traveling with dogs according to the "Stay With Dog" website https://living-with-
Accepted credit cards
American Express, Visa, Euro/Mastercard, Discover We allow guests to pay online with their preferred payment method.
Check-in time
After 3PM
Check-out time
Before 11AM
Availability
We are sorry, this accommodation is not available to book at the moment
There is enough space for 1 small car to park in the garage. Don’t forget Nest’s garage is only 4.2 meters long and 2.3 meters high, so choose a smaller rental car if you wish to park there. A Nissan Note, Suzuki Wagon R, or Honda Fit would be a great choice.
Larger vehicles can use our space next to the Togari Onsen Ski Resort Pegasus number 2 parking lot. This parking is used by our other accommodations in the MTN Holidays group, so please leave space for others to park. You may move the parking cones to enter the parking area, these are to prevent ski resort guests from using our space.
Internet
All MTN Holidays properties have high-speed WIFI and comfortable spaces.
Access
The property is located right at the base of Togari Onsen ski resort. This means that the prefecture and the city make clearing the snow a priority. Even though this is one of the snowiest parts of the world, the roads are surprisingly clear. Togari Ski Resort bus stop is 3 mins walk. Togari Nozawa Onsen (Togarinozawaonsen) station is about 20 minutes away on foot, or a few minute drive. Nozawa Onsen is a 15-minute drive (about ¥4000 taxi fare) and Madarao is about 40-mins by car.
Togari Onsen Ski Resort
Togari Onsen is on the outskirts of Iiyama City in Nagano Prefecture, located in the centre of one of the heaviest snowfall areas in Japan, and possibly even the world! It is just across the Chikuma River from the world famous Nozawa Onsen Village, but even people who are familiar with Nozawa will say, “Togari Onsen? I've kind of heard of that place, but where is it?!” It is fair to say that Togari is a well-kept secret! Lines for the lifts are rare here, and its a great place for an authentic Japanese ski town experience.
Togari is a pretty village with lots of old traditional temples and shrines. The buildings are less crowded together than other ski resorts, and are mostly family-owned small hotels attached to a farm, giving it a wide-open and welcoming feel. Locals may self-effacingly call Togari "small" but actually the village center has everything you need, and it’s just the right size. Not as crowded as Nozawa Onsen, and more convenient than Madarao, with easy road access, through the Chikuma River valley, without having to drive any scary mountain passes. That is why so many people return over and over again to this small ski resort.
At Togari Onsen, rich in nature, you can enjoy camping, trekking, canoeing, and many other outdoor activities, but what what we are really interested in is the snow sports! This page provides information on skiing in Togari, the slopes, restaurants, and a little about the culture and history of the village.
Togari Onsen Ski Resort has a total of 15 courses with a total run length of 2.4 km. There are 7 lifts, 4 of which are high-speed quads. There are two sides to the mountain, “Pegasus" and “Orion,” but in 2022 the lifts on Orion Slope are not in operation to keep running costs down until tourism hopefully returns after the pandemic. Although the lifts that side are not in operation, the runs are accessible from the top of the the Tondaira Pair lift, turning this whole area into a huge playground for all kinds of snow games called “Ski Vacation Village”.
The ski resort may not be the biggest in Japan, but it is not really small either. Like Togari Onsen Village, it is just the right size. There are a wide variety of courses including tree runs, wide and well-maintained groomers, and the “Jet” and “Rabbit” Courses, which are steep, ungroomed runs perfect for powder days.
Togari Onsen Ski Resort also has the SAJ certificated Togari Onsen Ski School. This ski school has many excellent instructors and offers lessons for beginners as well as advanced students, and prizes for those who want to become even better. The experienced instructors are a big hit with the kids, and parents can leave their kids to learn to ski with peace of mind. English lessons are available through a collaboration with MTN Holidays.
{The first of its kind in Japan, or even the world!]
Introducing the Yuki-Chari Tour: a 2km-long snow bike course! Riding a wide-tired bike designed for snow, known as a "fat bike," you can cycle down the mountain while enjoying some spectacular snowy views. There are strider kids bikes available too. Great way to take a day off from skiing!
Nightlife info
There are about 12 restaurants in Togari. All of them are within walking distance of the village center, making it very convenient to get around. It might not be as many restaurants as other ski towns, but there are always tables available, so this is another example of the "just right" balance that Togari always affords. Like any ski resort, there are a few restaurants on the slopes. From good old-fashioned ski resort restaurants, serving the ever-popular katsu-curry and ramen, to a few very good examples of newer-style resort restaurants, featuring for example, Vietnamese cuisine.
Walking through the village, you will find that all the restaurants you visit are delicious. Options include soba noodles, baked curry, French, Italian, seafood, izakaya and more. The variety is very rich and of high quality. There is also a bar right by the slopes for that all-important apres ski.
Check out our Restaurant Guide! LINK
Culture and history info
The hot springs of Togari Onsen are a must-do, with their traditional wooden buildings and stone floors. Surprisingly, despite their traditional charm, these hot springs were only drilled in 1991! The baths here are also “just right”: not too hot and not too cold. Many of the locals never even use the bath in their own homes, preferring instead to end the day soaking in the onsen and chatting with their friends. The onsen water is called “bijin-no-yu, or beautiful-woman-spring, because it leaves your skin feeling soft and silky-smooth.
Togari is a little-known haven for fireflies in early summer. The heavy snowfall in the region is leads to an abundance of sparklingly fresh water in the mountain streams. Fireflies love it! On the subject of delicious water, don’t forget the locally brewed sake, "Hokko Masamune," is also excellent.
There are some beautiful old temples and shrines, which make for great pictures whatever season you visit, whether it be the deep snows of winter, the vibrant blues of early summer hydrangeas, or the beautiful reds and oranges of autumn. Kogenin is known to locals as The Hydrangea Temple for its hundreds of thousands of stunning blooms in June. Nearby Takeminakatatomiinochihikogamibetsu Shrine has the longest name of any shrine in Japan! Visiting there feels like stepping into a Ghibli anime.
The Autumn Festivals in the fall are very unique. Each neighbourhood celebrates in a different way, with elaborate lion dances, naginata displays, fire festivals, stage performances, and fireworks. They all take place on the second or third weekend of September, so it’s possible to visit two or three on the same night, and the locals may even welcome you to join them and drink and eat delicious food late into the night!
