Zao Onsen resort information

Fans of world skiing will undoubtedly have visited the Zao Onsen ski resort on Yamagata Prefecture in Japan to sample the snow. There are a solid 50km of slopes at the resort, as well as a network of 42 lifts to allow guests to traverse the resort extremely easily. The elevations at the resort are between 780m and 1,661m.

All in all, there are 20km of easy blue slopes, 20km of intermediate red slopes and 10km of difficult black slopes for skiers and snowboarders to discover. The slopes are divided as such to ensure skiers of all abilities have something to ski on during their holiday. For those who want a further challenge, there is also a valley run at the resort, ideal for exploring the local vicinity. Freestylers can spend their time hitting the halfpipe in the snow park, whilst younger children have a fun park to have fun in the snow.

After a strenuous day on the slopes, guests are advised to seek out one of the local eateries in the area. There are plenty of options in Yamagata, all serving local cuisine that visitors and residents will not want to miss out on. Try Robata, Restaurant Sancho and Yamaguchi Mochiya to sample some authentic Japanese flavours.