Nozawa Onsen

Take the Nagasaka gondola to the top and you'll reach the Uenodaira and Yamabiko areas — this is where the best snow and views are. Yamabiko is my personal favorite: wide intermediate terrain with consistent snow quality. But be aware that the descent from the Yamabiko station area back to the base is intermediate-level or harder, so true beginners should stick to the Karasawa slope at the bottom of the mountain.

Nozawa Onsen is one of Japan's most beautiful hot-spring villages, with traditional wooden buildings and 13 free public baths scattered through the streets. That said, the shops and restaurants inside the village have gone fully inbound — this is one of Japan's most international ski destinations right now. The upside: everything works in English. The downside: don't expect a hidden local gem. Accommodation is mostly small guesthouses and ryokan, prices run high, and peak-season rooms book out months ahead.

The onsen town doesn't have parking inside it — you'll park on the outskirts and walk everywhere. This means renting a car to hop between resorts from Nozawa as a base isn't practical. Commit to the village for your stay. One heads-up for families: since the village is walkable and full of bars, late nights can get rowdy with groups of tourists in the streets — not dangerous, but worth knowing if you have young kids.