Nozawa was lovely, but we had miles to go before we slept (on the train home). After numerous onsen visits that made us lobster-red (Nozawa water is even hotter than most hot springs), we set off along the road home - switching to smaller roads or river embankments whenever possible. This photo was taken just after leaving Nozawa, showing something of the lovely setting.

Remember the old paranoid's story about being in the hot bath when suddenly a bunch of tribesmen with skull necklaces appear and start throwing vegetables into the water? Well something similar happens here (minus the cannibalist overtones) . You can see local residents here at all hours of the day and night, boiling local vegetables in outdoor hot springs pools like this - and then selling the result as "onsen-vegies" in picturesque shops like this one.