Zao Onsen

Ski Resort (Yamagata)

Resort Info

ENQUIRE NOW

Zao Onsen is a gorgeous traditional Japanese village located in the north of Honshu, the main island of Japan. Zao is an onsen resort, meaning there are natural hot springs running through the village, including public bathhouses and in-house onsens. The ski resort is large, with a selection of runs for all abilities however the on-piste terrain is predominately for beginners to intermediate skiers and snowboarders. One of the unique attractions of Zao is the famous “Snow Monsters” that form on the trees during the winter, they’re a must see! Zao can be easily accessed on the Shinkansen from Tokyo and then a bus to the resort. The town also features a variety of restaurants to settle your appetite after a day on the slopes, however nightlife is limited like a lot of traditional resorts. For more information on Zao Onsen click here.

BUILD YOUR OWN QUOTE

DESTINATION DEPARTING | RETURNING ADULTS | CHILDREN UNDER 12

Zao Onsen
Accommodation

Zao Onsen offers beautiful and traditional Japanese accommodation options. Check out our top recommendations here.
Zao Onsen
things to do

If you want to take a rest day while in Zao Onsen here are some ideas to keep you busy.
How to get to
Zao Onsen

You have a few different options for getting to Zao Onsen from Tokyo and other cities. Check out which option is best for you.
Zao Onsen
Trail Maps

Find out what the resort of Zao Onsen has to offer with our resort guide and trail map.

BUILD YOUR OWN QUOTE

DESTINATION DEPARTING | RETURNING ADULTS | CHILDREN UNDER 12

Featured Zao Onsen Articles

Some of Our Best-Value Japan Stays for the 2027 Season

Got Japan on your ski-dar? Now’s a pretty good time to make it happen. We’ve rounded up some seriously good-value accommodation-only packages across Japan, with set dates and cracking rates to help you lock in your next powder [...]

2026/27 Japan Early Bird Deals Ending Soon!

After an all-time 2025/26 season packed with endless pow days, fresh terrain, and some of the deepest conditions Japan’s seen in years, demand for next Northern Hemisphere winter is already building fast. Japan’s snow season t [...]

Powder Paradise: Winter in Japan’s Gunma Prefecture

Sponsored content Mountainwatch | Reggae Elliss Over the past few years I have been a regular winter visitor to Gunma prefecture, lured by its consistent snow, variety of ski resorts and authentic Japanese experience. It’s a u [...]

Chasing Powder in Japan by Train

Mountainwatch | Travel One of the great things about travelling in Japan is the ease and efficiency of the rail system, particularly the multiple Shinkansen lines. The sleek Shinkansen, known as the Bullet Train, travels at spee [...]

First Snow Has Fallen – Japan’s Resorts Are Waking Up!

As the mountains across the Northern Hemisphere are starting to disappear under a blanket of snow, ski enthusiasts around the world are starting to dust off their gear, in preparation for those first powder turns! Japan is leading [...]

Everything You Need to Know About Hakuba: The Ultimate FAQ for Your Japan Ski Trip

There’s truly something for everyone in Hakuba. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Japanese Alps, Hakuba Ski Resort is one of Japan’s standout alpine destinations. With deep, consistent powder, expansive terrain, and [...]

nicky sullivan

Lizzie was so helpful, gave us some options and advice to help us pinpoint where we wanted to go. And once we had booked provided some really helpful travel advice and answering questions we had. Easy to deal with, everything was smooth and we had a great time.

Shelly Drewitz

Calum was awesome at helping us every step of the way with our trip. We got a great deal on the accommodation and ski lift, and we will definitely come back to Mountainwatch next time based on his excellent service.

Mark K Grant

I booked my Japan ski holiday through Mountainwatch. Very professional and when we arrived in Japan all was laid out for us. The accommodation was even nicer than expected. KIrsty was very good to work with and made things very easy!!!! will book again next season.

Jess

Great experience booking through this company, our contact Anna was brilliant, and organised a fantastic ski trip for us. The travel was all clearly laid out, the accommodation was lovely, the ski field was fantastic, great range of local dining options and bars.

Brett A

Mountain Watch are great, well organised and excellent advice on locations and accommodation. Highly recommended!

darren martin

Thanks Kirsty for helping arrange our family trip to Myoko for Xmas 2025, we had an amazing time

Jan Kelly

Thanks Kirsty, once again your arrangements for us in Japan worked very well. We’ll have no hesitation about touching base with you before we make another booking….. not sure if we’ll be organised by June, but we’ll see. Have a great season yourself and keep up the good work at MountainWatch. Regards Jan and Tom

Samantha Farr

Our trip to Hakuba and Tokyo was so smooth and easy thanks to the help of Justine. Hotel was great and in a perfect location and it was very smooth having all our extras like lessons and rentals booked and sorted before we arrived. Would 100% book through Mountainwatch Travel again!

John Durham

This is the second year that Kristy has organized travel arrangements for a skiing holiday to Furano in Japan, for us. It is the second time that those arrangements have been fulfilled seamlessly. No hassles, as planned and on time. Perfect, and will use Mountainwatchj Travel again. John Durham

Simone B

We booked through Anna O’Malley for our stay in Nozawa onsen Village in Japan. Seamless service, prompt, and pricing reasonable. The Shimataya View Hotel, was a lovely stay. Room size was large, great views, and Amazing service from Staff. Momoi and Eloisa couldn’t help enough- from dinner reservations to organising luggage to Tokyo. Property is older, though clean, well maintained. 10 min walk to slopes, 5 min walk to village centre. I recommend Mountain Watch, and this property. Photos are the view from our room.

Verified by Trustindex

Trustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more