‘Try on a kimono for fun,’ urges the Japanese guide, so I duly tuck in my tummy before I am tightly trussed into the Japanese national dress, feeling like a pantomime dame rather than any understudy for Madame Butterfly.
She completes my costume with tiny slippers that are four sizes too small – cementing my place as Cinderella’s Ugly Sister – before I limp off down to the lakeside for a group photo shoot in our kimono finery.
It is a treasured memory, nonetheless, from a first visit to the Land of the Rising Sun. But there are many more, including a magical stay at a high-end glamping resort where I cook breakfast outdoors on a portable hob with an uninterrupted view of nearby snow-clad Mount Fuji.
Fuji Mountain in Autumn. Pic: Getty Images
A tour of Fuji Five Lakes, from the largest and least touristy lake Yamanaka to more developed Lake Kawaguchi, later offers different mesmerising views of Japan’s highest mountain, a series of overlapping volcanos which last erupted in 1707 and is visible from Tokyo.
We will also labour up 287 steep steps to ancient Buddhist Minobu-san Kuon-ji temple, a serene mountain retreat, framed by early blossoming cherry trees from our base at Glamping Villa Hanz in Kawaguchiko.
Nozawa Onsen, Japan historic hot springs baths at dawn. Pic: Getty Images
The main guesthouse and cosy domed glamping paos are surrounded by forest devoted to sustainable use and maximum contact with nature. Flying squirrels are spotted while notices to beware of the bears dot the hillsides and walking trails at nearby Mount Fuji.
The first cherry blossoms are budding in the shadow of Mount Fuji, where the Fujiten ski resort is closed until next season, as we chase the snow further north into the Japanese Alps.
Foreign visitors to Nozawa Onsen are transported back centuries in time after alighting from the express bus that connects rural communities with the high-speed bullet train station an hour away. Arriving in these mountainous hinterlands of northern Nagana, we are already worlds removed from Tokyo’s manic energy and high-rise neon skylines.
Wandering past ancient low-slung carved cedarwood buildings, with their bonsai gardens and dainty foot bridges that link the town’s cobblestone lanes and steep walkways, is akin to stepping on to a Japanese woodcut painting.
Isobel on the ski slopes. Pic: Supplied
Sushi restaurants, sake bars, apres ski cafes and ski hire outlets are all here, impeccably disguised so as to blend into the town’s bygone tranquillity. One of Japan’s oldest ski resorts, enjoying some of the highest snowfalls of the region, Nozawa Onsen is an all-season hot spring town, where numerous bath houses are fed with mineral-rich waters naturally heated by a volcanic caldera.
Long before anyone took to the slopes to ski, a monk discovered the natural hot springs that gurgle underneath the settlement. Archaeological digs have found ruins of dwellings and pottery that point to settlements here dating back 3,000 years. In late March, tourists from abroad have come to admire the famed cherry blossoms already carpeting the countryside in a spectacle of pink petals.
Landscape and Mountain view of Nozawa Onsen in winter, Nagano, Japan. Pic: Shutterstock
My companion Lynsey, an expert snowboarder and dedicated winter sports fan, and I are chasing a different spectacle of nature, the chance to immerse ourselves in Japan’s glorious deep powder snow. Never in my wildest dreams had I expected to take to the ski slopes of Japan.
The nation renowned for its Zenlike attitude to the sport, displays utmost courtesy in lift queues and gondolas, unlike skiers who push and elbow one another as a matter of principle in France and Italy. As one would expect, Japanese dedication to order and perfection also stretches to its skiing infrastructure, with perfectly groomed slopes of natural snow and moving walkways to assist skiers carrying their gear.
Mountain ski resort Shiga Kogen, Japan. Pic: Shutterstock
To our astonishment, while it’s the end of season and prices have dropped somewhat, ski hire and lift passes are extremely good value compared with European resorts.
Spurred on by Lynsey, together we tick off all the slopes on our ski map, little realising then that the season will officially end in a day or two. Taking the longest continuous run from summit altitude of 1,650m to the base, we ski on fresh powder thanks to an unexpected overnight dusting of new snow giving good cover on steeper slopes.
At the end of a perfect day we kick back with a couple of local beers and a delicious plate of sushi amid the strong evening sunlight at an outside bar beside the lift station.
Landscape and Mountain view of Nozawa Onsen in winter, Nagano, Japan. Pic: Shutterstock
In contrast to the near empty ski slopes, it’s a case of the more the merrier during my steaming naked dip in the town’s oldest and most famous Onsen (public outdoor bath).
There are tens of thousands of these springs in towns around Japan, fed by naturally hot waters which pass through volcanic rock layers and contain health-inducing minerals, believed to harness special healing powers.
The sexes are segregated and its customary to bathe naked unless you are having a dip with a private reservation in your hotel’s Onsen, when swimsuits may be worn.
Japanese Hot Springs Onsen Natural Bath Surrounded by red-yellow leaves. In fall leaves fall in Fukushima, Japan. Pic: Shutterstock
Oblivious to the sulphurous smells wafting about, my petite Japanese fellow bathers squatted elegantly on wooden stools washing themselves thoroughly, according to etiquette, before immersing themselves in temperatures as high as 70 degrees. Locals were boiling eggs and cooking vegetables in baskets they had lowered through an open outdoor hatch into the natural hot spring.
Uniquely Japanese customs make it such an intriguing destination, taking the top spot on numerous travellers’ wish lists. In a week I am bedazzled by Shinto shrines, ornate Buddhist temples, fast-moving Tokyo, glorious natural landscapes like Mount Fuji, sushi-making classes, Sumo wrestling, high-tech wash, rinse and blow dry toilets, and the famous bullet train that reaches speeds of 350kmph.
Mt. Fuji with Shinkansen train and rice field at Shizuoka, Japan. Pic: Shutterstock
Japan’s unique blend of ancient and modern is one of its main attractions, but so too are the courteous, calm and friendly people, with their incredible dedication to detail and enviable efficiency.
The Japanese have rules about everything and it’s all too easy to make faux pas – from forgetting to change out of indoor slippers to standing your chopsticks up in the rice, which is apparently only done at funerals.
I commit many bloopers. In a country famed for its food the world over, you will eat the best of the best, including of course ramen (hearty egg noodles in broth) and tempura of fish, meat or vegetables in a light and crispy batter. These s taple dishes are served everywhere, from cheaper cafes to high-end dining on at least 20 sushi courses.
Seven eleven convenience store in Tokyo at night. Pic: Shutterstock
Convenience stores like 7-Eleven stock surprisingly tasty fresh sushi, yakitori (chicken skewers) and bento boxes. The ubiquitous bento boxes are also a great un-messy food choice for snacking aboard ultra-clean bullet trains.
I find a baffling choice of vitamin drinks, exotic sweets and delicious cookies that come individually wrapped and beautifully packaged in supermarkets and gift stores. Japan’s wine is on a medal-winning roll right now, sake (rice wine) delivers a big punch and Japan’s craft beers are excellent.
The Australian barman in Nozawa Onsen chats about what sets Japan apart. Though Christmas isn’t a national holiday, it’s a marvellous time to visit, he says, because there’s such full-on celebration during the festive season. ‘Christmas markets, magnificent lights and decorations, it’s all here,’ Mark tells me ‘The country goes crazy for illuminations, the atmosphere is incredible.’
Fukuoka Christmas Market and Illuminations at the JR Hakata station is one of the biggest Christmas markets in Japan. Pic: Shutterstock
Japan is an all-seasons destination, with diverse climates and landscapes. But summer can be extremely hot and sticky while winters are usually mild and pleasant, bringing snow to the Alps and mountains of the north. Late autumnal leaf-peeping is popular too, as is cherry blossom season, when air fares jump substantially. The cheapest time to visit is mid-January to early March.
So whether you’re there to chase cherry blossoms, enjoy the world’s best sushi, check out Tokyo’s frenetic energy or glamp under majestic Mount Fuji, the Land of the Rising Sun beckons as a journey of a lifetime.
Isobel wearing a Japanese Kimono. Pic: Supplied
TRAVEL FACTS
For more information about Glamping Villa Hanz, visit gv-hanz.com, €197 per Pao per night, sleeping two on a room-only basis. Fly from Dublin to Tokyo Haneda from Dublin via Helsinki with Finnair (finnair.com) and Emirates (emirates.com) via Dubai. Bus transport from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko from €12.30pp. Buy a Japan Rail Pass (japanrailpass.net) before you travel for unlimited travel on most major lines.
AloJapan.com