Welcome to Winterland in Nozawa Onsen! We have very limited accommodation availability in peak season so please see our Room Calendar to book a room. March is a great time to visit and we are open until March 31, 2026. Dinner Reservations are recommended for Winterland Taproom & Gyoza Bar especially for groups.
Winterland Lodge—a boutique 3-star hotel in Nozawa Onsen
Winterland Lodge & Taproom is a boutique 3-star hotel with 6 rooms overlooking the main corner of Nozawa Onsen Village. When you arrive on the Nozawa Liner Bus from Iiyama Station look it is a 30 second walk to Winterland. Each room has ensuite bathroom and shower and custom craftsmen beds that can sleep a family of four if you want to all squeeze into one room. The Yokochi free onsen (hot spring) is right across the street and several more are within walking distance. The Yu Road (moving escalator) is a 5-minute walk from Winterland and the free shuttle bus leaves out front for Nagasaka Gondola. Guests can enjoy some fresh espresso and great breakfast in the restaurant before hitting the slopes.
Winterland Taproom—Craft Beer, Cider and Gyoza Bar in Nozawa Onsen
Come enjoy good food, good music and good times before or after a day on the mountain or exploring the village. Start the day with an espresso and a big breakfast at Winterland or grab something quick to go. We don't take reservations at Happy Hour so come in for some great deals. Find out What’s On! The Winterland Taproom features 12 taps with domestic and international craft beer and cider as well as a full bar. The izakaya-style and Mediterranean inspired menu is fun for the whole family and Winterland has a Kid’s Space so parents and kids all have a great time. Guests may come for the craft beer, but they stay for our famous gyoza featuring local ingredients and custom-made for Winterland in the gyoza-capital of Japan—Utsunomiya. Our original Vegetarian Gyoza are great as well.
The Winterland Story
Winterland Lodge & Taproom was conceived by music and mountains. Two friends had made Japan their home for more than twenty years and had been snowboarding in Nozawa Onsen since before the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998. Both had grown up with the Grateful Dead—Gardner in Oregon going to shows on the West Coast and Chris, from Connecticut, on the East Coast. In 2015, they met at Chicago's Soldier Field on the 4th of July weekend for the final shows the band would play together as The Grateful Dead. The seed for Winterland was planted there.
