Zao Onsen is located in the Yamagata Prefecture on Honshu, the main island of Japan, around six hours north of Tokyo.
This little known ski resorts boasts an average snowfall of 12 metres, along with 42 lifts accessing 880m of vertical rise. But despite these impressive stats, Zao is most famous for its Snow Monsters (Juhyo). Every winter Zao’s fir trees are covered in ice and then coated in snow, providing a bizarre landscape for skiers and snowboarders to ride through. Once you’ve had enough fun skiing with the Monsters, you can relax in the onsens located at the base of the resort, or dine in the many traditional restaurants and izakyas.
Weather and snow report for Zao
Check out The Daily Flake snow and weather report for Zao.
Resort statistics
Beginner: 40%
Intermediate: 40%
Advanced: 20%
