What is Zao Onsen, Yamagata like?
Zao Onsen, located in southeastern Yamagata Prefecture, is a hot spring resort with a history dating back 1,900 years.Nestled in the magnificent nature at the foot of the Zao Mountain Range, it attracts many people with its beautiful scenery and abundant hot spring water. Zao Onsen is well known to many Japanese people, but it is not often ranked in the top 10 of Japan’s hot spring resorts, so it is probably a hot spring resort known only to people from other countries. Zao Onsen is very similar to Kusatsu Onsen, and is classified as a highly acidic hot spring, which is said to beautify the skin.
And, after all, skiing and snowboarding are the best in winter!
It is a very attractive hot spring resort because you can enjoy skiing and snowboarding at the Zao Onsen Ski Resort, which is not far from the hot spring resort area, and also see tree ice, which is rare throughout Japan.
Attractions of Zao Onsen
- Abundant hot water and highly acidic sulfur spring: The hot water of Zao Onsen is characterized by its highly acidic sulfur spring. It is also known as “hot water for beautiful skin” because it is believed to have sterilizing and skin-strengthening properties.
- Magnificent Nature: The magnificent nature of the Zao mountain range offers beautiful scenery in each of the four seasons. Especially in winter, visitors can enjoy the fantastic scenery created by the ice formed by the trees.
- Lively Onsen Town: The historic inns and hotels that line the streets of Onsen Town create a lively atmosphere that is unique to this hot spring resort area.
Things to do in Zao Onsen
- Onsen Tour: Zao Onsen has a variety of hot spring facilities, including public bathhouses and ryokan hot springs. Enjoy touring the hot springs and find your favorite one.
- Outdoor activities: In summer, there is a 650-meter long slide at the Zao Onsen Ski Resort, and a ropeway ride to the top of the mountain at night to enjoy the starry sky and night view.
- Spectacular Winter Scenery: In winter, take the Zao Onsen Ski Resort or the Zao Ropeway to see the juhyō (樹氷) ice. The fantastic winter scenery will leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.
- Local Gourmet: Yamagata beef, imoni (stewed potatoes), and other delicious dishes unique to Yamagata can also be enjoyed. There are many restaurants in the hot spring resort area that serve dishes made with local ingredients.
Points to keep in mind when visiting Zao Onsen
- Cold Weather: Dress warmly, especially in winter.
- Transportation: You can reach Zao Onsen by car or public transportation. Public transportation may be infrequent, so please check the timetable in advance.
Go to Zao Onsen!
Zao Onsen is a popular tourist destination where you can enjoy nature and hot springs. Why not enjoy the hot springs to your heart’s content in the midst of magnificent nature?
I actually visited “Miyamaso Takamiya” at Zao Onsen, Yamagata!
Zao Onsen in Yamagata is one of the hot spring resorts that I have been personally interested in. In midwinter, many skiers and snowboarders visit from all over Japan to enjoy skiing and snowboarding. The season I went was summer. The purpose of the trip is to travel by motorcycle.
The inn where we stayed is the most prestigious hot spring inn in Zao Onsen, Yamagata, and is favored by many travelers, called “Miyamaso Takamiya. The inn is a reproduction of a traditional Japanese house, but with bedrooms for comfort, and is friendly not only to Japanese but also to foreign tourists.
*Please note that elementary school students and younger are not allowed to stay at the hotel.
Miyamaso Takamiya
After a courteous reception, you will be shown to your room immediately.
These rooms are pure Japanese style with a good old Japanese atmosphere and ease of living.
This is a bedroom.
The bedroom is next to the living room and the rooms are separated, making it feel quite spacious.
We visited in the summer, but in the cold winter months, the rooms are equipped with oil heaters next to the beds for a comfortable stay.
This is a space where you can relax and enjoy the view outside. This space is called “Hiroen” and is often found in Japanese inns. It is a “hiroen” with an old-fashioned retro atmosphere. It is very relaxing.
The view outside looks like this.
Many inns can be seen around Miyamaso, as it is a hot spring resort area.
Although Miyamaso is located on a higher ground than other ryokans and requires climbing up and down stairs, the view from the room is very nice. Zao Onsen ski resort is in the right direction.
Now, after relaxing in your room at the ryokan, it’s time to get into the hot springs before dinner.
This is the hot spring of which Miyamaso is proud. It is said that this hot spring has been bubbling for more than 1,000 years.
The cloudy white hot spring water makes my skin smooth.The small bathhouse is also very private!
There are two types of hot springs, and this one is a bit larger.
Now, after getting out of the bath, it is time for dinner, which I am looking forward to.
Because it is a high-class inn, the rooms, hot springs, and meals can all be enjoyed at the highest level, and will give you satisfaction on your trip.
The meals at Miyamaso are Kaiseki-ryori, a special type of cuisine that is delicate, visually vibrant, and incorporates many local ingredients.
The dish served on the small plate in the middle is called “Kobachi” and is an appetizer. Many other dishes are brought in later.
The photo below shows grilled Yamagata beef and Yamagata pork.
This is Tempura and Soba.It looks vivid and artistic.
Other dishes included steamed abalone.
Finally, there was dessert. It was a lovely cake in a glass.
These are the introductions to the dinner.
Breakfast was of course sumptuous, with so much kobachi and so many dishes lined up in such a visually pleasing array that it was hard to know where to start. In addition to this, there was also miso soup and white rice, making for a very satisfying morning.
This was an introduction of Miyamaso Takamiya, Zao Onsen, Yamagata!
How was your trip? We hope it will be helpful for your trip. We hope that you will consider them as potential travel destinations in Japan!
Hotel information
Miyamaso Takamiya