Zao Onsen: Hot Spring Guide & Visitor Access (Yamagata)

Zao Onsen, opening onto a highland at about 880 meters elevation, is an old hot spring said to have been in use for more than a thousand years since its opening. Legend hands down its discovery by Kibi no Takayu, and in old times it was also called Takayu. The strongly acidic, cloudy white water with its scent of sulfur has been cherished as a beauty spring gentle on the skin. Boasting abundant flow, the hot spring town spreads across the western foot of the Zao mountain range.

Highlights

The town has the public bathhouses Kamiyu, Shimoyu, and Kawarayu, along with an open riverside outdoor bath, where you can savor free-flowing spring water in abundance. It features the distinctive feel unique to a strongly acidic sulfur spring. The three public baths each have their own character, and you can enjoy bath rounds while walking the town in geta. The large outdoor bath is prized for its riverside openness and operates from spring into autumn each year.

Seasonal Highlights

In winter, viewing the snow monsters reached by ropeway is world-famous, and at Zao Onsen Ski Resort, one of the largest in Japan, you can enjoy skiing and hot springs together. Summer is cool as a retreat from the heat and serves as a base for highland hiking. Because of the high elevation it stays cool even in summer, and you can also enjoy strolls of the surrounding highlands and marshes.

Access and Basic Information

From JR Yamagata Station it is about 40 minutes by bus. The water is an acidic, sulfur-containing aluminum sulfate and chloride spring, with a pH of around 1.6, showing strong acidity. It is said to have a high sterilizing effect, and the cloudy white water smooths the skin. The flow is abundant, and free-flowing spring water can be enjoyed at many inns and public baths. The public baths can be entered for around a few hundred yen.

Practical Travel Notes

The large outdoor bath mainly operates in the snow-free spring to autumn, so if the riverside bath is your aim, choose the season for your visit. The snow monsters reach their peak in midwinter and are viewed by taking the ropeway up near the summit. If you combine skiing and hot springs, winter is the season; for highland hiking, summer suits best. For just the bath rounds of the public baths and the large outdoor bath, allow half a day; if you add skiing or snow-monster viewing, allow an overnight or more. In winter the ropeway can grow crowded, so acting with time to spare is reassuring.

A Word of Advice

Because the acidity is strong, rinsing off quickly with fresh water after bathing eases the stimulation to the skin. Those with sensitive skin should avoid long soaks and enter while watching how their skin responds. Since strongly acidic water can damage metal, it is best to remove accessories before bathing.