Nozawa has been a hot-spring town for far longer than it has been a ski resort. Thirteen free public bathhouses — the soto-yu — are dotted through the village, fed by natural springs and maintained by the local community. Soaking in them, alongside residents, is the heart of a Nozawa stay (learn the etiquette: wash first, no swimwear, and the water is hot).

At the base of the slopes, the Ogama hot spring is so hot locals use it to cook eggs and vegetables. Everything in the village is within walking distance — it's a car-free, lantern-lit maze best explored on foot.

The village is full of tiny izakaya, soba counters and sake bars. Nagano is one of Japan's great sake regions, and a brewery tour makes a perfect non-ski afternoon. In mid-January, Nozawa hosts the Dosojin Fire Festival — one of Japan's most spectacular and dangerous, where villagers defend a giant wooden shrine from fire.

From Tokyo, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Iiyama station (about 1 hour 40), then a direct bus or transfer to the village (about 25 minutes). Door-to-door it's roughly 4 hours from the Tokyo airports.