For those of us who love winter, Japan\u2019s has a very specific kind of pull. That probably feels even stronger when you are reading this in the middle of Singapore\u2019s usual heat and humidity, when the thought of crisp mountain air, fresh snow and an outdoor onsen already sounds like a holiday worth counting down to. For me, the attraction has always been simple: snow. Especially the soft, powdery snow that blankets Japan\u2019s mountain towns in winter and changes the rhythm of a holiday completely \u2013 also known as Japow (or Japan powder). Everything slows down a little. You walk more carefully, you take more time to wear your layers, and you become far more aware of small comforts such as a hot meal, a warm sake, or the feeling of soaking your tired body in an onsen.<\/p>\n Are you planning for a winter holiday in Japan too?<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n For this trip through Nagano and Gunma earlier this year, I decided to make one small change to the way I usually travel. Instead of relying on my usual combination of the iPhone 17 Pro and Leica Q3, I brought the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 as my main phone, camera, tablet and general travel companion. This was not meant to be a formal camera review, and I was not trying to prove that a foldable phone could replace a dedicated camera (much less my iPhone) in every situation. Samsung had loaned me the Fold7 for the trip, with no editorial obligations attached (you can read Hongzuo\u2019s review here), but I was curious to see how it would fit into the way I actually travel while still giving me images I would be happy to keep.<\/p>\n Hakuba offers a very different winter vibe from another popular destination – Niseko.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Snow Peak is more well-known for its camping gears, but if you ever get a chance to visit their Land Station in Hakuba, be sure to try their ramen selections.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Hakuba Village<\/b>, which is within easy reach of Nagano City, is especially popular with skiers and snowboarders, thanks to its picturesque mountain views and excellent variety of slopes. Even if you are not the sort of traveller who plans an entire holiday around skiing, Hakuba still has plenty of appeal because the scenery itself is worth the trip. Snow-covered roads, wide open fields, distant peaks and the general ski-town atmosphere all make it feel like the kind of place where you want to slow down, wander a little and take in the landscape rather than rush from one attraction to another.<\/p>\n We stayed at Hotel Glorious, and while it was not exactly the most comfortable lodging, it was a practical base for the few days we were there. The nicer hotels had already been fully booked four months in advance, so that is one thing I would strongly suggest planning early if Hakuba is on your winter itinerary. The upside was that the hotel was close enough to the Happo-One<\/b> ski area, which made it convenient for getting around without having to spend too much time figuring out transport. It was also next to Ohyokkuri<\/b>, a popular Japanese eatery that turned out to be one of those small but important travel wins. After spending time outdoors in the snow, there is something deeply satisfying about sitting down to a warm meal without having to travel far for it (Tip: Be there early as queues start as early as 5:30pm for dinner).<\/p>\n Watching the young ski jumper fly into the air and then land safely with our own eyes for the first time was pretty surreal.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n One of the highlights around Hakuba was visiting the Hakuba Ski Jumping Stadium<\/b>, which is worth a stop even if you have no real interest in ski jumping as a sport. The scale of the ramps is difficult to appreciate until you are standing near them, and the viewing area gives you a sweeping look across the valley and surrounding mountains. It is the kind of place that reminds you why Hakuba became such a winter sports destination in the first place. And by a stroke of luck, we even spotted a ski jumper training. Forget what you see on the television; seeing a ski jumper in action live is a jaw-dropping sight.<\/p>\n There are plenty of ways to experience Japanese snow (aka Japow, or Japanese powder), and one of the best ways is on a snowmobile.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n We also managed to work in a snowmobile experience, which added a more active side to the Hakuba leg of the trip. It was cold, of course, but in a way that felt appropriate for the setting rather than uncomfortable. Being out in the snow, surrounded by trees and low winter light, gave the day a different rhythm from just sightseeing or moving between shops and restaurants. It is also one of those activities that does not necessarily require you to be an experienced winter sports person to enjoy.<\/p>\n With the Fold7, I found myself shooting more casually and more often during this part of the trip. I could use it like a regular phone when I needed to take a quick photo, then open it up later when I wanted to properly check if the shot had worked. Of course, my iPhone could do the same job too. But the Fold7\u2019s larger display was especially useful in Hakuba, as it allowed me to review and edit photos more easily and more accurately than I could on a smaller screen.<\/p>\n At the centre of Kusatsu is Yubatake, the large hot spring field that you can\u2019t miss.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n From Nagano, our trip moved to the prefecture of Gunma, and the mood changed quite a bit. If you\u2019re into onsen, then Kusatsu Onsen has to be at the top of your list. This hot spring town is widely celebrated as one of Japan\u2019s top three historic hot springs and unlike many other hot spring towns, Kusatsu Onsen\u2019s water is rich in minerals (highly acidic and sulfurous) and possesses strong disinfecting properties that the townsfolk celebrated it for curing everything \u201cexcept lovesickness\u201d.<\/p>\n We also visited Netsunoyu in Kusatsu to watch the traditional Yumomi performance. The natural spring water in Kusatsu is extremely hot, so the locals used to use large wooden paddles to cool the water by stirring it in rhythm.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n We stayed at the excellent Kusatsu Onsen hotel<\/b>, just across the most recognisable spot in town \u2013 Yubatake<\/b>, the large hot spring field at the centre of Kusatsu. It is one of those places that works both as a landmark and as a natural gathering point. You inevitably pass it multiple times a day because so many streets seem to lead back to it, and each time it feels slightly different depending on the light, the steam and the crowd. During the day, it is easier to appreciate the structure of the wooden channels and the pale green water running through them. At night, the area becomes more atmospheric, with the lighting, mist and surrounding buildings giving the town a warmer, more dramatic look.<\/p>\n Kusatsu is even more beautiful in the evening, when the lights come on and the steam softens the streets. This was when I enjoyed the town the most. There is a lovely contrast between the cold winter air and the warmth coming off the hot spring water, and it makes even a simple walk around town feel memorable. The illuminated areas, including the Kusatsu Illumiwalk and the paths around the hot spring district, give the town a gentle winter glow.<\/p>\n The Kosenji Temple stands out in the hotspring town thanks to its vibrant red pagoda.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Kusatsu Onsen is at its most beautiful in the evening because of its illuminated Yubataka hot spring, where hot steam rises to create a foggy, magical haze over the town.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n There are also small points of interest around Kusatsu that are worth exploring between meals and bathhouse visits. Kosenji Temple, with its bright red pagoda for example, makes for great TikTok or Instagram videos. The public foot baths are another easy way to enjoy the town without committing to a full onsen session, and they are especially pleasant when your feet are tired from walking around in the cold.<\/p>\n While Hakuba was more about adrenaline and fun, Kusatsu is all about peace and recovery.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n What I liked most about Kusatsu was that it did not feel like a place that needed to be \u201ccompleted\u201d. We did not go there tick off a long list of attractions. We went there to soak, walk, eat, rest and enjoy the atmosphere. That made it a nice contrast to Hakuba. One part of the trip felt open, active and scenic; the other felt slower, warmer and more intimate. Together, I felt they made Nagano and Gunma a very satisfying winter pairing, especially for those of us who want more than just the usual Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto itinerary.<\/p>\n We also stayed at the Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku, a ryokan in Fujiwara in Gunma.<\/p>\n Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n In the end, travelling with the Galaxy Z Fold7 in Nagano and Gunma prefectures did not drastically change the way I take photos on holiday, but it did change how often I was willing to shoot, review and edit them on the move. I could pull the phone out quickly, take a photo without overthinking it, and later unfold the screen to review the image properly or make quick adjustments in Lightroom without feeling like I was working within the limits of a regular phone display.<\/p>\n That larger canvas was the part I enjoyed more than I expected, and it is probably why I now want Apple to make a foldable iPhone a reality sooner rather than later. At the same time, I would be lying if I said the Fold7 made me forget about my Leica Q3. It\u2019s not a fair comparison, of course. But there is still something I miss about the more deliberate approach of shooting with a proper camera, from framing a scene more carefully to the image quality and character you get out of a larger sensor and dedicated lens.<\/p>\n But as a travel companion for a winter holiday in Japan, the Fold7 made a strong case for itself. It was convenient, versatile, and always with me, which meant I came home with more photos than I probably would have taken otherwise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For those of us who love winter, Japan\u2019s has a very specific kind of pull. That probably feels even stronger when you are reading this…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[26152,1672,2251,1585,151,6257],"class_list":["post-67010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-gadgets-reviews","tag-fold7","tag-galaxy","tag-japan","tag-samsung","tag-travel","tag-winter","wpcat-32-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=67010"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67010\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/67011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=67010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=67010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=67010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Nagano \/ Hakuba<\/h2>\n
Gunma \/ Kusatsu<\/h2>\n
To fold or not to fold<\/h2>\n
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