Mount Zao –– or more literally the peaks of Zao (蔵王連峰 Zao Renpo) –– is a volcanic mountain that sits on the border between the Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures, in the North-Eastern part (Tohoku) of Japan. In summer, the mountain range is a wonder in itself, including the crater lake Okama.
In the winter season, it is a top destination in Tohoku for skiing. There are a number of ski resorts across the mountain, on both the Yamagata and the Miyagi sides. In this blog, we’re going to write about the Zao Onsen Ski Area, located on the Yamagata side, which is larger than the ski resorts in the Miyagi side.
Access
Although the Zao Ski and Onsen Area is in Yamagata, the popular way to get to it is by Sendai Station, which is the option that we took. There are direct highway buses to the area in peak season right from Sendai station. However, if you’re arriving by Sendai airport, there’s also a direct bus. From Tokyo, you could use the JR Tohoku pass or take an overnight highway bus to Sendai.
While it was already sunny and no trace of snow can be found in Sendai, as the highway bus enters deeper into the island continent of Yamagata, you can feel the temperature slowly drops below freezing point.
Ski Courses
When you arrive in Zao, you might be puzzled: unlike e.g. Gala Yuzawa, there is no such thing as a “Zao Ski Resort”: the entire Zao mountain is a ski resort. Indeed, the enormity –– no. 1 in Japan –– is what sets the Yamagata Zao apart from the Miyagi Zao.
There are a total of 41 cableways and the longest skiing distance is 9 kilometers! There are 28 courses for beginners, 19 for intermediates and 10 for advanced skiers, making a total of 57 courses.
Because of the variety in height, the ski resort is open in warm winters. Also, while the bottom part of the ski resort ends in late March, the top opens up to late May!
There are very diverse courses of varying difficulties. Famous courses include the “hoarfrost tree course” (樹氷原コース), which is beginner-friendly and allows you to see the famous ice monsters (more on that below) and the Wall of Yokokura (横倉の壁), which boasts a steepness of 38º! While the writer has not tried that wall, experienced skiers are welcome to challenge that and share their experience here!
We would like to remind you to be prepared for the great snowstorms on top of Mount Zao! Although for example the “hoarfrost tree course” is labeled green (for beginners), when we went, the weather was so bad that we could not see anything, which is considered dangerous for beginners.
Beyond Skiing
Besides skiing, the Zao (Yamagata) is also famous for its hoarfrost trees and its onsens.
“Ice Monsters” (樹氷)
When we first took the cable and got up and up the slope, we noticed giant boulder-like statues of ice, all of the different shapes. To our surprise, they are actually *frost* on trees. Whereas normally the frost is at most a piece of clothing –– a beautiful one, indeed –– on trees, the same cannot be said here. In Zao, the frost is the *main character*, and the helpless tree is nowhere to be seen.
The hoarfrost (or simply “ice”) is quite famous for being artifacts of nature. It is said that they are made possible by the special climatic conditions in the Zao mountains. While they look somewhat like tree monsters, their appearances are said to change, too.as the night falls and the sun rises day after day.
To see the ice monsters or hoarfrost trees, you need to go in January and February, and only at the top of the Zao (Yamagata). Further, there are sometimes “light-ups”, where the trees are coloured by illumination, which creates a completely different feel compared to their usual white appearances. However, the weather is usually bad (we were in a snowstorm 99% of the time) at the very top. According to the information, there are only 1 or 2 days of clear sky for the best pictures -– good luck!
Onsen and the Snow
Another spectacular sight we saw was hot spring, and they are everywhere –– in the ski resort, on the street! The steam that the hot spring let out and the snow-covered mountain creates a very interesting sight. However, it was not open when we went, and a day-trip like the one we took did not allow us to bath the onsen. But you are definitely recommended to take advantage of a night’s stay there.
Rental
One more thing: where should you rent the gears? Where there is not a central “rental place” unlike in other ski resorts, where there are more than 14 rental shops in Zao (http://www.kankou.yamagata.yamagata.jp/zao/winter/pc/rental/). We entered an inconspicuous one with just the word “Zao Rental Service” written in Katakana (レンタル).
The store assistant is a young person and – knowing that the writer is a university student too – offered special discounts and free items. We would highly recommend it for its friendly service.
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