Yamagata Zao Onsen Ski Resort
Yamagata Zao Onsen Ski Resort
4.4
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
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4.4
341 reviews
Excellent
177
Very good
125
Average
30
Poor
6
Terrible
3
sydneysider48
Sydney, Australia1,201 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
An interesting and very busy ski resort accessible by bus from Yamagata station. We went there to stay in an onsen rather than for skiing. Although there was little snow lying around the town, the slopes seemed to be reasonably covered and there were many skiers and snowboarders enjoying the pleasant sunny conditions. The Zao Ropeway, which provides access to the top of the range and passes the snow monsters or ice trees was ridiculously busy with queues 120 metres long and moving very slowly! We took the central Ropeway, which was great, allowed us to have great views over the Onsen and to snow covered alps in the distance and had a terrific cafe serving excellent snacks on the top of the range. There were a number of restaurants in the town with many ski hire establishments as well.
Written 7 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mimicchi
Guildford, UK113 contributions
Dec 2024 • Couples
Amazing view when the Sun comes out - it happens only occasionally, statistically, once or twice a week. Snow monsters near the top of the mountain are unique to this skiing ground, and provide a spectacular view.
The December 2024 season started very well, with almost all skiing grand covered by snow. The weather forecast predicts normal to high snow in the 2024/25 season.
The quality of the snow was excellent in December 2024; powder snow.
There are hot springs in the town, so we can enjoy skiing and hot springs in a single trip.
The downside of this skiing ground is
1. Not well sign-posted, especially in English. The letters in the signposts are large in Japanese, but very small in Latten letters, which makes it very hard to read from far distance. It is very difficult to read when snow covers the signposts, especially in the English part.
2. The skiing ground is vast and not always easy to navigate. Especially when the visibility is low, it is easy to lose the way.
3. There are four base points in this skiing ground. As we went to before 27th December, when connecting busses started operating, when we ended up with wrong basepoints, we had to take lifts to the top to get to the correct base points. Otherwise, you have to use a taxi to get to other basepoints. During the peak season, there are connecting buses between four base points.
4. While talking with other skiers during lunch, they reported very limited English skiing/border instructors. Book in advance.
5. At some places, some walks are needed to get across.
The December 2024 season started very well, with almost all skiing grand covered by snow. The weather forecast predicts normal to high snow in the 2024/25 season.
The quality of the snow was excellent in December 2024; powder snow.
There are hot springs in the town, so we can enjoy skiing and hot springs in a single trip.
The downside of this skiing ground is
1. Not well sign-posted, especially in English. The letters in the signposts are large in Japanese, but very small in Latten letters, which makes it very hard to read from far distance. It is very difficult to read when snow covers the signposts, especially in the English part.
2. The skiing ground is vast and not always easy to navigate. Especially when the visibility is low, it is easy to lose the way.
3. There are four base points in this skiing ground. As we went to before 27th December, when connecting busses started operating, when we ended up with wrong basepoints, we had to take lifts to the top to get to the correct base points. Otherwise, you have to use a taxi to get to other basepoints. During the peak season, there are connecting buses between four base points.
4. While talking with other skiers during lunch, they reported very limited English skiing/border instructors. Book in advance.
5. At some places, some walks are needed to get across.
Written 30 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tony B
Gold Coast, Australia26 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
THE BEST in Japan. First skied here in '82 when no-one was interested in Japan. Been back dozens of times in summer & winter including a stint on a working holiday in '85. Easily my favourite place due to the friends I've made and the beautiful natural environment. Wonderful skiing experience. Ski in ski out, groomers, off piste and back country and of course the snow monsters for which Zao is famous. 30+ lifts 750m+ vertical. 50/50 skiers/snowboarders. International standard ski jumps. Great traditional village and onsens. Good for non-skiers with the village and 2 gondolas that take you to high up with modern cafe at the top of one and traditional noodle shop at the other.
Written 28 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carolyn P
8 contributions
Feb 2025 • Couples
If you are a non-skier and want to see the Snow Monsters, take a coach tour. We waited 2-3 hours, standing in the falling snow, after we purchased our tickets, to get on the Ropeway to go up the mountain, where the Snow Monsters are. Group tours kept arriving and were taken to the front of the queue. We were packed into the first cable car like sardines, and then switched halfway up the mountain to an emptier car, as many people only paid to go halfway up. However, the perspex windows were totally frosted up, and we couldn't see out to see the snow monsters, or to take photos. When we arrived at the top, we were allowed to go outside to see some snow monsters up close. But it was -24 degrees, with a howling gale and almost total whiteout.
Then we did all the car-swapping, and waiting in the freezing cold, in order to get back down. We couldn't find a way to call a taxi (very little English spoken} and eventually went into a hotel and they called a taxi for us, to get back to Yamagata where we were staying.
We were treated like cattle by the Ropeway staff, and the whole experience took ages, was very uncomfortable and very unrewarding.
Then we did all the car-swapping, and waiting in the freezing cold, in order to get back down. We couldn't find a way to call a taxi (very little English spoken} and eventually went into a hotel and they called a taxi for us, to get back to Yamagata where we were staying.
We were treated like cattle by the Ropeway staff, and the whole experience took ages, was very uncomfortable and very unrewarding.
Written 21 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Narelle H
Yeppoon, Australia137 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
Our first time skiing in Japan was here at Zao. Not many lifts were available due to the lack of snow at lower levels. This made the trek up the mountain with gear quite onerous. The lift prices are reasonable, we could have managed with a 4 hour pass each day instead of two full day passes, but it gave us the chance to go to the Mt Jizo summit station twice to see the emerging snow monsters. The first day had gale force winds with light snow, but the second day was clear and sunny! Love to come back when the snow cover is more widespread.
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SevenContinents
New York City, NY469 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Group of friends planned to visit Japan in winter to see the snow monsters at this ski resort and the experience did not disappoint. Have to have decent conditions to see the Juhyo. The ski resort is relatively large, and mostly intermediate skill level. Can park, get rentals, and lift ticket all in same day. Not as good as the Rockies or the Alps, but still an unforgettable experience!
Written 2 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Breeze
2,313 contributions
Jan 2020
Such a great ski resort and all is great. You can spend 4 days for skiing and enjoy the speed and scenery passing by you when skiing. After the daily ski, in the evening you can enjoy the hot spring and bool beer, it is the best thing, isn't it?
The ski resort has various design for the beginners and professionals. It's easy to learn and can find the way even you are a beginner, however, pls do have a coach with you.
If you are lucky you can even see "the tree looks like ice bar," glamour your eyes.
I would like to visit here again and enjoy my winter vacation.
The ski resort has various design for the beginners and professionals. It's easy to learn and can find the way even you are a beginner, however, pls do have a coach with you.
If you are lucky you can even see "the tree looks like ice bar," glamour your eyes.
I would like to visit here again and enjoy my winter vacation.
Written 11 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
deemacvee
Bonnet Bay, Australia484 contributions
Feb 2014 • Couples
This was the last of the Japanese ski resorts to visit on my list. Last but not least. I think it is my new favourite. I enjoyed the skiing more than I had in years. Why? Well, it's a pretty big resort with over 30 lifts, two ropeways and 2 gondolas. With some pretty harsh weather conditions (snow and wind) we seemed to be able to find some part of the mountain which provided nice runs and good visibility. I think just exploring somewhere new and interesting added to the experience.
Our first few trips to the top to see the ice monsters went unrewarded with low visibility. Luckily, we caught a short break on our 4th day and saw them in all their glory. When the sun shone, it was spectacular. When things closed in, we could move around the mountain and find some clear runs. To me, Zao is like a bigger version of Nozawa. There are a few bits where you have to push between runs which probably doesn't please the boarders - Tough! Go to Niseko! I'm going back to Zao.
Our first few trips to the top to see the ice monsters went unrewarded with low visibility. Luckily, we caught a short break on our 4th day and saw them in all their glory. When the sun shone, it was spectacular. When things closed in, we could move around the mountain and find some clear runs. To me, Zao is like a bigger version of Nozawa. There are a few bits where you have to push between runs which probably doesn't please the boarders - Tough! Go to Niseko! I'm going back to Zao.
Written 28 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tanja S
Hong Kong, China89 contributions
Dec 2014 • Friends
While most people go Niseko (where I also went when living in Japan 10 years ago), it's so much easier and much more affordable to go to Zao. If you live in Asia, but even further away. I live in HK now and when we have holidays, unfortunately, most of China does as well. Which means, crowds of people going to Hokkaido. I do recommend to fly to Tokyo and take Shinkansen to Zao Onsen, Yamagata. You can g there over the weekend, as its only 2.5 hours fr Tokyo. It has everything you wish: good skiing, enough lifts (ca 30), onsens (walk in directly from the lift!) and fantastic food, plus some the best Nihonshu (sake) in Japan. BTW, Zao onsen, unless you are unlucky and hit the Japanese holidays, has very few people and we never had to wait in the lifts, so you would go up and down a number of times while you will still be waiting for the lift in Niseko... Very often, JR has good offers for the East JR system and you can buy the JR pass at the airport and use it already in Tokyo, all the way to Yamagata. The only little minus, that although a huge skiing mountain, may be only 3-4 black(advanced) slopes.
Written 26 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
em-a-lee1756
Esperance, Australia30 contributions
Jan 2016 • Family
Stayed here for 6 days and didn't get to cover the whole ski area in that time. Easy to get to, caught the Tsubasa Shinkansen from Tokyo to Yamagata, the bus from terminal at the bottom of the train station to Zao (about 40 mins) bus terminal. Visitor centre desk is also located at the bus terminal, so they called ahead to arrange for our hotel to pick us up. We are a family of 4 intermediate skiers and have previously skied at Hakuba and Nozawa. They all have fantastic qualities and I would return to any one of them again for different reasons.
The great qualities about Zao:
1. Our accommodation was ski in, ski out.
2. Huge snow area.
3. Had a massive snow dump while we were there of 180cms, lots of powder.
4. Good food and facilities around then ski area.
5. Didn't need to shuttle bus anywhere.
6. If you have a lift pass you can catch gondolas to top to see snow monsters if you don't want to ski there.
7. Really wide slopes, not many people and no lift queues.
8. Still not visited by many westerners, very popular with Japanese visitors. Not very crowded.
Downsides, if you can call them that:
1. Base slopes get a bit busier with school kids doing their lessons, but you can escape to the higher slopes.
2. Take your map with you everywhere, the trail signs aren't colour rated, so it's hard to plan your descent if you plan on taking numerous tracks.
3. The lifts at Zao are operated by different companies, so they won't always link nicely, which means gunning it down part of a slope or doing a bit of poling between some lifts.
Great place for beginners and intermediates, not a lot of black runs to challenge yourself, but good red runs, having said that, we didn't get to cover the whole resort. Went in January, and there hadn't been a lot of snow till then, but while we were there there was a huge dump of nearly 2m, so we got to see the start of the snow monsters forming, can see how fantastic they would be when fully developed!
The great qualities about Zao:
1. Our accommodation was ski in, ski out.
2. Huge snow area.
3. Had a massive snow dump while we were there of 180cms, lots of powder.
4. Good food and facilities around then ski area.
5. Didn't need to shuttle bus anywhere.
6. If you have a lift pass you can catch gondolas to top to see snow monsters if you don't want to ski there.
7. Really wide slopes, not many people and no lift queues.
8. Still not visited by many westerners, very popular with Japanese visitors. Not very crowded.
Downsides, if you can call them that:
1. Base slopes get a bit busier with school kids doing their lessons, but you can escape to the higher slopes.
2. Take your map with you everywhere, the trail signs aren't colour rated, so it's hard to plan your descent if you plan on taking numerous tracks.
3. The lifts at Zao are operated by different companies, so they won't always link nicely, which means gunning it down part of a slope or doing a bit of poling between some lifts.
Great place for beginners and intermediates, not a lot of black runs to challenge yourself, but good red runs, having said that, we didn't get to cover the whole resort. Went in January, and there hadn't been a lot of snow till then, but while we were there there was a huge dump of nearly 2m, so we got to see the start of the snow monsters forming, can see how fantastic they would be when fully developed!
Written 30 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I will be going with my girlfriend to Zao Onsen from March 3-5. I was a certified ski instructor but haven't taught in a few years. She has never skied before so I want to know what slopes would be best for teaching an absolute beginner. Our hotel is very close to the Yokokura and Nakamori slopes and it does look like each has a short lift to a beginner slope in addition to the gondolas, but it is hard to tell from the information I could find in English or Japanese (I speak Japanese) whether either is appropriate for an absolute beginner.
She is giving me the full day on the 4th to ski the advanced terrain and my goal for the afternoon of the 3rd and morning of the 5th is to help her have the best experience possible to learn to ski. If she picks it up well I saw some beginner slopes higher on the mountain that look like they have great views, but as a former ski instructor who will be teaching her it is important to start with absolute beginner terrain before even thinking about moving to longer slopes.
Written 20 February 2025
Hello, may I know if it is possible to just take the ropeway to see the snow monster & stroll around surroundings without having to play Skii nor Snowboarding? Need any info for those who have been there before. Thank you.
Written 6 February 2020
Hi there. Yes, you can just take the Ropeway up to the summit to see the Snow Monsters. It's 3000 yen return trip and I would suggest to go in the morning or early afternoon because the last ride back is at 4:15pm. The Ropeway you want to take is at Ski Slope 1.
Written 8 February 2020
Hello, has the skiing season started yet? I will be there in the next couple of days and would like to know if I will be able to ski.
Thank you.
Written 30 October 2019
Will there be snow between last week of Nov till first week of December 2019?
Written 11 June 2019
Hi Sheila, if you want to ski then it is unlikely to be possible. Hit and miss as to snow at that time of year down to resort level. At higher elevations we had snow from the 1st November last year (photo in our FB Pension Brown posts - can't give you a link on Trip Advisor) if it's is scenes/photography that you are after. The chairlifts generally do not start to open until at least the 2nd week - areas opening will obviously depend upon snow cover. The Ropeways are open all year.
Written 21 July 2019
Hello! We are planning to go to Zao Onsen on Dec 30. Will there be an operational bus from Yamagata on the said date? Would the snow monsters be appreciated then?
Written 7 December 2018
Hello, we are trying to decide where to take our kids skiing around 8 January for 3-4 nights. We can either go to Zao Onsen or Myoko/Kogen Suginohara. What would you recommend for complete package i.e. in terms of value, ski slopes (we are intermediate/beginner but do not require lessons), accommodation options; transport into and out of the area, restaurants and other attractions (e.g. foxes or snow monkeys). I understand Suginohara gives free lift passess to kids under 12? Thanks
Written 16 May 2018
With kids, all level ski and while looking for attractions around, I would recommend Nozawa Onsen (Nagano prefecture). Splendid village with lots of restaurants and Onsen (by definition!).
From Tokyo, you can use very reliable taxi service (chuotaxi). Those guys will take you directly from airports to your hotel: very easy and convenient.
Written 21 May 2018
Hi, we want to visit in mid May. Would we still be able to see the snow monsters? What kind of clothing should we bring as I’ve read it can be quite cold! Thanks!
Written 19 April 2018
Hi Mary, sorry for my late reply. Probably too late.
If you go in May, snow season is over. You won't see the Monsters.
Temperatures are now around 15C there.
Best season for ski there is February.
Written 7 May 2018
蔵王に限らずですが、2月下旬と3月上旬では2月下旬の方が雪質は良いです。
ポンキッキだったかな？歌っていましたね。
「1月1番寒い月 2月一番雪が降る」って歌がありました。
雪質は1月＞2月＞3月なのは大抵のスキー場で言えることです。
ただし2月は歌にもあるように、最も雪が降る月で、
積雪がこの時期にMAXとなるスキー場は多いです。
3月上旬に蔵王に行ったことありますが、
中部～下部はガリガリでしたね。
本州最高峰の志賀高原に行ったときは、1月でも雨なのに、
4月1日で猛吹雪だったこともあります。
3月以降は特に天候、運次第で全然違いますね。
一般的には雪質は2月下旬＞3月上旬です。
Written 26 November 2017
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