Zao Onsen
Zao Onsen Ski Resort Japan
The word “Zao” in the Serbo-Croatian language means “evil”, and in the James Bond movie “Die Another Day”, Zao is a North Korean villain who becomes Bond’s arch-nemesis. Yet when it comes to Zao Onsen Ski Resort in Japan there’s nothing evil, although the renowned Zao snow monsters could be described as a little creepy. The infamous snow monsters (aka Juhyo or snow ghosts) are fir trees clumped with ice and snow as a result of the bitter Siberian winds – the bizarre shapes they take on are probably more spectacular than spooky.
Zao Japan is not just well known for the snow monsters and the skiing, but also as an onsen resort town. The distinctive smell of sulphur throughout the town highlights the presence of the many hot springs. Onsens can be found in many of the ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) and there are also public bathhouses and open air hot springs (rotenburo). The therapeutic waters are a great place to soak weary muscles.
Zao Ski and Snowboard Terrain
Zao is a medium sized ski resort (305 hectares) with an impressive vertical drop of 881 metres and a 10km run that is likely to build up lots of lactic acid in the legs. The ski resort has 42 lifts including a few ropeways and a gondola, yet even with that many lifts the layout is not particularly ideal. There are various flat spots and unless you do some major schussing, a degree of walking or skating between areas may be required.
The below tree-line terrain is reasonably mellow and very well suited to beginners and intermediates. Only twenty percent of the piste is rated as black, but in reality it seems much less than that. Going off-piste into the trees to find powder is somewhat discouraged but not heavily policed, particularly if you camouflage yourself as a snow monster! One of the advantages of Zao Onsen is that there aren’t many powderhounds around to leave their dirty paw prints on the slopes, so freshies generally abound on weekdays.
Where is Zao Ski Resort aka Zao Onsen Resort?
Zao Onsen ski resort is located in the northeastern Tohoku region of Japan in the Yamagata Prefecture, about 400km north of Tokyo. The Yamagata Shinkansen train takes about 2.5 hours from Tokyo to Yamagata Station, and then a 40 minute bus ride to the Zao Hot Springs Resort is required. Alternatively you can fly into Yamagata airport from Haneda or New-Chitose (Hokkaido) airports, and then catch a bus.
Zao Onsen Accommodation
The Zao village that sits at the base of the ski area is not a purpose built ski town, so thankfully it’s retained the charm of a traditional Japanese onsen village.
Zao Onsen accommodation options range from luxury Western style hotels to ryokans (Japanese inns) and more budget oriented pensions. Many of the Zao accommodations have their own onsens.
Zao Facilities
Zao Onsen has various facilities for skiing and snowboarding including equipment rental shops, although some of the shops have limited gear for big sizes or rent out ski gear from the 80s! Ski or snowboard lessons in English are only available in a private format.
Despite the abundance of beginner terrain, Zao Onsen is not well set up for families, particularly in comparison to nearby resorts such as
Appi Kogen.
Activities
The main après ski activity in Zao is related to the onsens. A therapeutic soak in the hot springs after a day of ripping it up is hard to beat.
Once you’ve turned yourself into a dehydrated prune you can then head to one of the sedate Japanese bars or truly get into the Japanese culture with some karaoke. More vibrant nightlife can be found in nearby Yamagata City.
A popular evening activity is to ride the ropeways up to the top of the mountain to view the illuminated snow monsters.
Why Ski or Snowboard at Zao?
If you want to go to a Japanese ski resort that is largely devoid of Australians, Zao Onsen is generally a good pick. Apart from a handful of Westerners, Koreans and Chinese, the major tourist trade is that of a domestic market. Combined with the lack of towering monstrosity hotels, Zao Onsen offers a traditional Japanese vibe and delightful cultural experience.
Whilst Zao can be reasonably busy on weekends, the resort is practically deserted on weekdays, and with few people venturing off-piste there are lots of opportunities to get some Zao pow!
Zao Onsen Transport Listings
 |
International Rail - JR East Rail Pass
International rail is a specialist rail travel company. Buy JR East Rail Passes online. 5 or 10 consecutive days or 4 days in a 30 day period. Non-Japanese residents only. Must be purchased outside of Japan.
|