A mountain of monsters. Each winter, a unique weather phenomenon produces the “snow monsters” of the Zao mountains. Hundreds of trees on the Zao mountains are glazed with snow and ice, morphing them into strange monster looking figures.
How to Get There. Located in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture, Zao Onsen Ski Resort is accessible by a 40-minute bus ride from Yamagata station.
The Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa departs from Tokyo and takes two and a half hours to get to Yamagata Station. By air, it takes only an hour from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Yamagata Airport. Then an hour by bus to the resort.
What are the “snow monsters”?
A combination of perfect winter weather and Zao’s high altitude give birth to these monsters of the mountains. Cold air blowing from Siberia is trapped by the mountains running north to south through Tohoku. Water droplets in the air freeze onto the trees, creating towering monsters of snow and ice. While there are several places in the world to see this phenomenon, Zao is one of the largest.
Snow monster schedule
The season of snow monsters begins in December, and the monsters are at their biggest between mid-February and mid-March.
The monsters are on the upper slopes of the mountain. From Zao Sanroku Station use the Sanrokusen ropeway to access Juhyo Kogen Station and Jizo Sancho Station. Both skiers and non-skiers can view the monsters, though non-skiers are encouraged to hire a private guide.
Board the Nightcruiser snowmobile to see the monsters illuminated in mysterious colors during the evenings. Tours operate between late January to early March.
Zao Onsen Ski Resort is one of the largest comprehensive mountain resorts in Tohoku. You can enjoy a variety of ways to spend your time, including winter sports, hot springs, sightseeing, shopping, and dining.
The Zao Hot Springs, there are emotional a spa town. Wrapped in aroma and steam of the hot springs, let’s explore the spa town.
Souvenir shop and, cafe with a nice atmosphere. Contact is a recommendation of the spa town stroll for those who want to enjoy leisurely Zao Hot Springs.
The surroundings of Zao Onsen are rich with mountains and wilderness, and after a ride on one of the three cable cars departing from the hot spring village, it is possible to enjoy with ease trekking in summer or the brightly colored leaves in autumn.
In winter, those surrounding mountains turn into slopes for the top-class Zao Onsen Ski Resort, renowned in Japan for its large scale.
The hot spring town of Zao Onsen (蔵王温泉, Zaō Onsen) lies attractively at an altitude of 880 meters above sea level on the slopes of the volcanic Mount Zao. In winter, it also serves as one of Japan’s leading ski resorts, enabling skiers to enjoy the Japanese way of relaxing in a hot spring bath after a day on the slopes.
Zao Onsen’s sulfuric waters are among the most acidic in the entire country with a PH value of close to 1. They can be enjoyed at multiple public bath houses across the town, which range from small, old-fashioned community baths to a modern facility with various pools. The highlight is the Zao Dai-Rotemburo outdoor bath, which unfortunately is closed during the winter months.
– ZAO https://www.zao-spa.or.jp/english/
– Bus from Sendai https://secure.j-bus.co.jp/hon
http://www.sangoro.co.jp/
https://www.instagram.com/sangoro.zao/
BRING THE GOOD FUN TO LIFE
TEL 023-694-9330
FAX 023-694-2107
mail zao@sangoro.co.jp
Bus to Zao, ZAO Onsen Ski Resort, Forest Inn Sangoro, Snow Monsters, Snow Boarding, Yamagata, Japan
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