Zao Onsen

Zaō Onsen (蔵王温泉), often simply called Zaō (蔵王), is a ski and hot spring resort in Yamagata, Japan, near the border with Miyagi.

Understand


Zao Onsen is a hot spring town nestled in the Zao Mountains (蔵王連峰 Zaō-renpō) famous for its cloudy blue sulfuric water. It is also known for its own kokeshi, the Zao Takayu kokeshi (see "Buy" for vendors). In the summer and autumn, the area is popular for hiking and visitors can go to Zao Crater just over the prefectural border. In the winter it's a popular place for skiing and viewing "Snow Monsters" (樹氷 juhyō, lit. "ice trees"), a name given to the snow-covered trees due to their strange creature-like appearance.

Be careful, Zao Town (蔵王町) is on the other side of the mountains, in Miyagi prefecture.



Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site with integrated Google Translate.

Get in
Zao Onsen does not have its own train station, so virtually all visitors arrive via bus from Yamagata, 40 minutes away with services roughly hourly. Yamagata in turn can be reached from Tokyo via the Yamagata Shinkansen line (2 hr 30 min), or via limited domestic flights to Yamagata Airport, which also has direct buses to Zao. The other option is to travel to the nearest major city, Sendai, which has a larger airport with international services and is 70 min from Yamagata on the Senzan line.

During the ski season only, Jam Jam Liner runs a daily 8-hour overnight bus (service JX851) directly from Tokyo's Haneda Airport and Shinjuku Bus Terminal to Zao, with fares starting from &yen;4700.

Get around
Zao Onsen is small enough to be walkable. Yamako Bus has limited local services to sightseeing spots.

Buy
Zao Onsen has an interesting selection of goods including Zao Takayu Kokeshi, one of 12 famous schools of kokeshi dolls in the Tohoku Region. There are a few shops where you can purchase them. Those interested can check the bottom of the kokeshi to learn which artist painted that doll. Different shops carry different artists' dolls.



Eat
The Zao area is known for "Genghis Khan" (ジンギスカン jingisukan), the Japanese name for Mongolian barbecue, and one of the few dishes in Japan to use lamb.



Go next

 * For most travelers, Yamagata is the only way out.