Zao Onsen

A museum consisting of five buildings collected and over 1000 artifacts collected by a single man, Yaheiji Okazaki. Emperor Meiji stayed in one of the buildings, and imperial objects and items from Yamagata Castle's former lords are featured among many others.

An open-air hot spring (rotemburo) in an atmospheric forest enclave in the mountainside. It easily sets itself apart from other onsen in the country and consistently receives high ratings among visitors.

A hot spring with an outdoor rotemburo and an indoor bath.

Zao is Tohoku's largest ski resort and has been a popular ski destination for decades. The area features 32 lifts and a variety of options for skiers from first-timers to pros.

Even if you're not interested in skiing, Zao's Ski area attracts winter visitors for its famous juhyo, better known as "Snow Monsters". Of course there are no real monsters; the "snow monsters" are created by the heavy amount of snow covering the trees. The festival season begins in late December and continues through early March. There is a Light-Up on specific days during the event, including most of the month of February when the monsters are typically at their best. Other events occur randomly throughout the season.