At a Glance
Behold, your majesty, Zao-sama! The official mascot for Zao!
Zao has a number of attractions, restaurants, ski areas, and it is a very popular tourist spot!
Mount Zao is undoubtedly the most famous spot in this town. It sits on the border of Miyagi and Yamagata. Mount Zao is famous for Okama Crater Lake and Zao Ski Resort.
The Zao Echo Line (open from late April to early November) leads to one of Mount Zao's secondary peaks, called Kattadake (1758 meters), before descending the mountain on the other side into Miyagi Prefecture. From Kattadake, tourists can view the bright blue and green colours of Okama Crater. It's possible to hike to Zao's highest peak in about 45 minutes. There is also a shrine, a visitor center, and a restaurant. You can get there by car or by two daily buses from Shiroishi Zao Station along the Tohoku Shinkansen between late April and early November. The one way trip takes around 1.5 hours and costs 1850 yen. Make sure to check the weather conditions before the trip because there are days that the crater is completely covered in fog.
What does the fox say? Well, you can find out at Zao Fox Village! Foxes freely roam an area you can explore, but be careful about carrying food with you! They will want to eat it, and there's a designated feeding area. There is an admission fee of 1000 yen for adults, and you can buy food for 100 yen. You can also take a picture with a fox for a small fee. They are quite calm, but remember that they are wild animals. Most people have an enjoyable experience. The rest of Fox Village is like a petting zoo with other animals. You will need a car to get to Zao Fox Village.
Mount Zao is undoubtedly the most famous spot in this town. It sits on the border of Miyagi and Yamagata. Mount Zao is famous for Okama Crater Lake and Zao Ski Resort.
The Zao Echo Line (open from late April to early November) leads to one of Mount Zao's secondary peaks, called Kattadake (1758 meters), before descending the mountain on the other side into Miyagi Prefecture. From Kattadake, tourists can view the bright blue and green colours of Okama Crater. It's possible to hike to Zao's highest peak in about 45 minutes. There is also a shrine, a visitor center, and a restaurant. You can get there by car or by two daily buses from Shiroishi Zao Station along the Tohoku Shinkansen between late April and early November. The one way trip takes around 1.5 hours and costs 1850 yen. Make sure to check the weather conditions before the trip because there are days that the crater is completely covered in fog.
What does the fox say? Well, you can find out at Zao Fox Village! Foxes freely roam an area you can explore, but be careful about carrying food with you! They will want to eat it, and there's a designated feeding area. There is an admission fee of 1000 yen for adults, and you can buy food for 100 yen. You can also take a picture with a fox for a small fee. They are quite calm, but remember that they are wild animals. Most people have an enjoyable experience. The rest of Fox Village is like a petting zoo with other animals. You will need a car to get to Zao Fox Village.
Restaurants
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Takuan - 匠庵
A really good soba restaurant with lots of locally grown produce. Featured in the Michelin guide Zao Boo On the way back from Miyagi Zao make sure to stop by Zao Boo Burger for some of the best burgers in Miyagi! Hawaiian themed burger restaurant in Togatta. All their meat and vegetables are locally sourced, and they have some massive portions. Also features American style barbecue. They taste like burgers from home!! Cheese Cabin Cheese Cabin is the store directly attached to the cheese factory. Fresh ice cream and yogurt is sold here! You can also sample different cheese created in Zao. |
Cafes
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Café Diago - 牧場カフェdaigo
A small gelato stand located at the base of Mt. Zao. All the gelato is made from milk from the farm behind the place, making it some of the freshest you can get in all Miyagi. |
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Miyagi Lapras Pokelid - Abomasnow
Did you know that Miyagi's Ambassador Pokemon is Lapras? There are 35 decorative Lapras Manhole Covers all over the Sanriku Coast of Miyagi! Across from Zao's Tourism Center and next to and interesting looking weather vane is Abomasnow Pokelid! Why Abomasnow? During winter up until early March, the Snow Monsters of Zao come out! |
Points of Interest
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Ajisai Road - あじさい駐車場
As the name implies, it's a 7km stretch of road near the Fox Village lined with ajisai, which makes for a very nice driving experience in the springtime. At the end of the road there's a small park full of them as well |
Shrines
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Izumo Shrine
A shrine located at the base of Zao, the shrine is built upon a massive spring, with perfectly clear water flowing out everywhere around it. Feels very Ghibli as you approach it. Zao Kattamine Shrine A shrine located behind Togatta Onsen, it has a shuin which is written in old kanji and uses the lunar calendar. Also is great in autumn for pictures |
Parks
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Zao Quasi-National Park - 蔵王国定公園
Directly on the border of Yamagata and Miyagi Prefectures and more like a natural reserve, like Yellowstone Park in the US, this park stretches into Yamagata and Miyagi Prefecture. Both prefectures manage the park and you will often hear that there is a "Yamagata Side" and a "Miyagi Side" of Zao. On the Miyagi Side you can see Okama Crater, visit several onsen, and hike all around Mt. Zao. Sumikawa Snow Park - みやぎ蔵王スキー場すみかわスノーパーク Sumikawa Snow Park is a place you can ski and snowboard and in winter, tour the Snow Monsters of Zao on snowcats! Zao's Snow Monsters are a result of supercooling and high speed winds that cover the trees on Zao that result in towering snow pillars that appear every winter. As a ski resort, Sumikawa is intermediate and beginner friendly. The ski resort and Snow Monster tours are open from December to April. |
Hiking Trails
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Mount Zao - 蔵王山
Mt. Zao is one giant hiking trail to be honest. To get to Zao, there are several buses from both Yamagata side and Miyagi side. Due to sporadic volcanic activity and heavy snowfall in winter, please check the weather near Mt. Zao if you plan on going hiking as some trails may be inaccessible. There's also the Thirty Six Views of Zao like the Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji. They're scattered around the base of Zao, with each offering a different viewing angle of the volcano. Not all are on Google, so it can be a bit of an adventure trying to find all of them. At its peak you can see Okama Crater. Mount Zao is also famous for its winter "Snow Monsters". |
Ski Resorts
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Ski resorts near Zao include Miyagi Zao Eboshi, Miyagi Zao Sumikawa Snow Park, Miyagi Zao Shiroishi, and Miyagi Zao Shichikashuku. In winter, Zao Onsen Ski Resort is one of Japan's most popular ski resorts. It allows visitors to enjoy a hot spring bath after a long day on the slopes. There's also St. Mary Ski Resort which is nearby in Kawasaki Town.
Eboshi is usually the favourite and it gets quite busy! Sumikawa Snow Park is great for snowboarders who want to do tricks. |
Hot Springs
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Zao Onsen Town
It takes an additional 45 minutes from Zao's peak to reach the upper station of the Zao Ropeway which descends to Zao Onsen. Zao Onsen Town sits on the slopes of the volcanic Mount Zao. In winter, Zao Onsen is one of Japan's most popular ski resorts. It allows visitors to enjoy a hot spring bath after a long day on the slopes. Zao Onsen's sulfuric waters are among the most acidic in the entire country with a PH value of close to 1. They can be enjoyed at multiple public bath houses across the town, but the most popular is the Zao Dai-Rotemburo outdoor bath. It costs only 470 yen, but it's unfortunately is closed during the winter months. Aoneonsen Village - 青根温泉 A hot spring village on part of Zao. The town has very nice views of the surrounding scenery, and features a Taisho Era house which is a visitor centre/cafe. Good place to go onsen hopping. Mahoroba Hot Spring - まほろばの湯 A hot spring in Togatta which has some really nice baths, both hot and cold. The entry price is around ￥800, and you can rent a towel if desired. There's also a restaurant with decent enough prices inside. If you don't feel like paying, there is a footbath out front. |
Points of Interest
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Okama Crater - 御釜
At the top of Zao is a giant crater lake. It is a sight to behold and even better in-person. Be sure to check the weather beforehand otherwise you might just see a giant cloud of fog. Rumor has it is that Okama shimmers five colors! You can drive up a toll road call Zao High Line and see the crater from the road from late April and early November, but out of season the toll road is closed. Roppou - 蜂蜜屋六方 An apiary (bee farm) in Zao with all kinds of wildflower honey, from rose to cherry. Also has a small bakery where you can have all kinds of locally grown fruit pies and cakes. |
