One of the springs that feed Nozawa Onsen, with water close to 90 degrees. The name covers five pools (Ogama, Marugama, Yudegama, Takenoshigama and Shimogama) and is said to come from soaking hemp here to strip its bark. Designated a natural monument by the village, it is still used by residents to boil mountain vegetables and eggs or soak akebi vines, each pool serving a different purpose. Because of the scalding water, entry is limited to villagers.
8713-Ro Toyosato, Nozawaonsen, Nagano
Sources: go-nagano.net
This moment in the journey
Beside the Ogama
At the heart of all this steam is the Ogama, a source where water close to 90 degrees wells up. A sign names it a natural monument, and another on the railing warns that the water is scalding. Locals still boil mountain vegetables and eggs here and wash their greens. The hot springs run deep in village life.
Right beside the Ogama is a cooking spot that visitors may use. I lifted the wooden lid with both hands and a cloud of steam hit my face. Up came the basket: breakfast was ready.
Watch this scene on YouTube0:41
More notes from this journey
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
Onsen tamago boiled in the hot spring
At the Ogama, the main source of Nozawa Onsen, water close to 90 degrees wells up, and locals have long boiled mountain vegetables and eggs in it.
From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
Rice bowl with stir-fried nozawana, fried tofu and onsen tamago
Nozawana is said to descend from Tennoji turnip seeds that the priest of Kenmei-ji temple in Nozawa Onsen brought back from Kyoto in 1756.
From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
The Oyu and the 13 sotoyu bathhouses
Nozawa Onsen has 13 sotoyu, communal bathhouses, kept up by villagers through a system called yunakama.
From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
The village with onsen in its name
Nozawaonsen, in Shimotakai District, Nagano, is the only village in Japan with onsen in its name.
From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
Freshly boiled corn and sasa-dango
Eaten with the onsen tamago beside the Ogama.
From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
Nozawaonsen, Nagano
Oyaki of Shinshu
One of Nagano's best-known regional foods: a wheat-flour dough wrapped around nozawana, seasonal vegetables or sweet bean paste, then baked or steamed.
From: Boiling breakfast in a hot spring: life in Nozawa
More notes from Hokuriku & Koshinetsu
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Jibuni
A simmered dish of Ishikawa made with duck, sudare-fu and seasonal vegetables, said to have been eaten by samurai households since at least the Edo period.
From: Winter in Kanazawa, from a townhouse kitchen
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Nodoguro takikomi gohan
Nodoguro is a prized fish, so rich in fat it is called "the toro of white fish." The overnight-dried fish I bought at the market was lightly salted using deep-s…
From: Winter in Kanazawa, from a townhouse kitchen
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Mettajiru
A hearty pork miso soup full of root vegetables, distinguished by using sweet potato in place of the usual potato.
From: Winter in Kanazawa, from a townhouse kitchen
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
My take on Yahoo chazuke
The shop known as "Yahoo chazuke" was Shinano, an ochazuke shop in Katamachi 1-chome, Kanazawa.
From: Winter in Kanazawa, from a townhouse kitchen
Shiojiri, Nagano
Rice-flour oyaki with nozawana
Oyaki are the signature home dish of Shinshu: a dough of wheat or buckwheat flour rolled thin, wrapped around a filling and baked.
From: Autumn leaves in Narai-juku and an autumn table in Shinshu
Shiojiri, Nagano
Shinshu beef sukiyaki
Nagano's "apple-fed Shinshu beef" is black wagyu that meets standards set by a producers' association; the cattle are fed by-products of the prefecture's food i…
From: Autumn leaves in Narai-juku and an autumn table in Shinshu