A trip full of surprises while enjoying the silvery winter world of Japan from a snow truck ride to an open air bath with the monkeys and adventures deep in the snowy forest.

The winter adventure starts from Tokyo with a shinkansen train ride to Nagano. Once there, change to the local line Nagano Dentetsu. Stop off at Obuse machi,a nice town with history. The once prosperous city of Kita-shinano, which has been re-named Obuse machi is now aromantic little town which has inspired artists and poets. Visit the Ganshouin temple where painter Katsushika Hokusai created a phoenix portrait which stretches across 21 mats - his biggest work of all. Tuck into some Yoritsuki at a restaurant that was once a wine cellar. A full course costing 2100 yen (S$ 30) consists of local beef cooked in front of the guest and Chestnut Rice, using local speciality and symbol of the town, Shinshu Chestnuts. Continue to the terminal station of Yudanaka, the main destination and head out to Jigokudani hot spring by bus which can be caught outside the station. As the resort is not accessible by car, visitoris must take a 30 minute walk from the bus stop to the Jigokudani hotspring up a small, steep path that seems much longer than the 0.8km length. The Kourakukan resort is built deep in the mountain valley of Jigokudani and was founded in the Edo Period.It features a riverside hot spring with a spectacular view of a natural fountain regarded as a national scenic spot, and which the name Jigokudani came from.  Once there, you'll be greeted by monkeys minding their own business in the hot springs and all around! A room costs 13860 yen (S$ 195) per night and comes with dinner featuring a home-style menu and taste, as well as a sumptuous 9-dish course breakfast. Early in the morning, is when the monkeys come visiting. Or you can take a 5-minute walk from the resort to the Jigokudani Monkey Park, home to about 200 wild monkeys that live in this region.

From a top tourist spot with snow, steam and monkeys to a romantic hide-away. Take the shinkansen train for a 3-and-a-half hour ride out of Tokyo to Omagari in Akita prefecture. From Omagari take the Ouu Line to Yokobori station or alight at Jumonji station in Yokote city to view some wildlife at Minagawa river. Yokobori is the entrance to a hidden hot spring and the birth place of Ono no Komachi - known as one of the world's most beautiful women (alongside Cleopatra). There is a Komachidou built in her memory, an annual fair dedicated to her (on the second Sunday of June) and a restaurant named after her. Try hand -made, original Inaniwa-Udon for a gorgeous-looking and great-tasting meal at 1500 yen (S$21). From town take a 30-minute ride to Akinomiya-onsen and the mysterious Takanoyu hot spring. It's off the main road and will require a 30m walk deep into a forest. The pleasant 10-minute walk ends at the Takanoyu resort . It is a great winter resort with a hot spring discovered during the Nara Period. The hotel, built in 1885 offers a great view of the lovely snow-covered surroundings. For a stylish Japanese room, it costs 14000 yen (S$ 200) per night and offers guests a hot spring bath in the snow at the open-air hot springs which will compensate for the freezing surroundings. The 12-dish dinner served with the stay features fresh ingredients collected from the surroundings and includes delicious Rockfish Miso-dengaku, the hotel's signature dish. The resort also offers guests a ladies' bath made with cypress wood and deep main bath indoors, and warm beds pre-heated with bean charcoal.

If it's not a romantic hide-away you seek, then head out from Tokyo on the shinkansen to Karuizawa, and take the local line to Komoro.  Mount Asamayama will greet you as you travel into the winter freeze to be compensated by the warmth of a hidden hot spring deep in the mountain at 2000m above sea level. Komoro is a lovely riverside city located beneath Mount Asamayama. It is also the entrance to two hot springs, one which is just a 15-minute walk away from the train station. Nakadanasou, the apple hot spring, was founded in the Meiji Period. It inspired a novel and poached apples,a famous Nanago dessert. For a meal instead of sweets, look for Soba-shichi, a great restaurant and traditional hand-made soba house. Only 10 servings are made per day because the soba is handmade with fine stone- ground soba wheat that is grown in Asamayama. From Komoro town the hidden hot spring is just a bus ride away deep into the mountain of Asamayama Range.The 45-minute ride with snow views of snow-covered trees and mountain slopes ends at a place that looks like a ski resort, with many people. Catch the hotel shuttle which is in fact a snow truck, to travel further inside the mountain range and the hotel. In fact those who want to try skiing can also do so at the same spot. A 20-minute bumpy ride on the snow,takes visitors to the Takamine Hot Spring Resort that is inside Joushinetsu-kogen National Park.

Takamine resort opened in 1956 and because it's so high it is called the hot spring on top of the clouds. Despite its modern interior, it resembles a cosy mountain cottage with sky-high views from the cosy Japanese-styled rooms that cost 12000 yen (S$ 170) upwards per night. The hot spring is on the 2nd floor of the hotel and because of the weather guests can keep warm but still enjoy the nature views from wall-sizes windows that offer a great view of the mountain.