Minakami

Right after Christmas, I went to Minakami in Gunma Prefecture. Everybody else was still working, and I had time to kill. And I was itching to snowboard. Stayed at a friendly little lodge, and got in a couple of days of snowboarding - the first day was fantastic - blue skies on top of the world. The second day was slushy and cloudy, but ok. The third day it rained, so instead of riding, I went to Takaragawa Onsen. Advertised as Japan's largest outdoor onsen, it boasts a spectacular setting - pools are located on either side of the river running through a small gorge. Can't think of anything much more relaxing! Took a little adjusting to being naked in a pool while people are walking past in big winter coats. But it's really not that bad. I was there before the busy New Year's season, so there weren't more than half a dozen people in each of the pools.