Travel to zao with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Open since the 1920s, Zao ski resort is a picturesque ski destination and one of Japan’s oldest. Situated in south Yamagata Prefecture, Zao has predominantly intermediate slopes, with plenty of beginner terrain and expert terrain for good measure, and also boasts some amazing off-piste powder and jumps.

Zao ski resort base is purpose-built to replicate a traditional European Alpine setting and resides at almost 3,000ft above sea level. The village is well put-together and is pleasing on the eye, with plenty of shops and cafés as well as the usual ski and snowboard services and facilities, including rentals, repairs and purchases. Childcare is also available here.

Zao ski resort boasts a massive amount of terrain of 60 slopes, half of which are for intermediates, and the longest is a commendable 5.6 miles. The vertical is 2,559ft, while runs go as high as 5,449ft and 42 lifts, including gondolas, cable cars and chairs, with a capacity of 54,084 people per hour, provide the access.

Accommodation at Zao ski resort consists of 15 European-style lodges and pensions, which all have wonderful restaurants serving up traditional Japanese and Western cuisine. There are eight restaurants scattered around the resort village, while the nearby town of Zao also offers lodgings, but is a bit lacking on the après-ski side.

One thing skiers and non-skiers alike must do when at Zao ski resort is to ride the tram to the mountain’s summit and view the much-hyped Juhyoo, snow capped trees. Alternatively, Zao is also home to a number of hot springs that are dotted around town within a magnificent landscape.

Zao ski resort has its ski season from December to May and its best snow from late January to early March; weekends and holidays are both busy and expensive. Traveling by train and bus combination, via Yamagata, from Tokyo is only a slightly longer journey than by car and possibly the most convenient travel option.

Skiing in Zao

With a good mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced slopes as well as off-piste niceties, Zao ski resort is one of Japan’s oldest ski destinations and is a great holiday destination for the whole family. Facilities are good for both adults and kids, and there are also plenty of attractions away from the slopes, including hot springs.

There are an impressive 60 slopes at Zao ski resort that are divided into 35 per cent suitable for beginners, 50 per cent for intermediates and 15 per cent for advanced and expert sliders. The longest run at Zao is one of the biggest in Japan at 5.6 miles and there are a hefty 42 ski lifts threading their way all over the mountain.

Alternative winter activities at Zao ski resort include trekking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, and there is much in the way of wellness facilities in the hotels such as Jacuzzis, saunas and swimming pools, while the hot springs in the town are an excellent way to wind down after a day on the slopes. A number of restaurants and hotel bars provide the après-ski.

Zao ski resort has the look and feel of a classic Alpine resort village and services and facilities for skiers and non-skiers are excellent. As well as extensive ski and snowboard facilities, there is also entertainment for children and childcare services, while 15 accommodation establishments provide Zao ski resort with its bed base.

The five-month ski season at Zao extends from December to May, with perfect snow from January to March and cheaper tickets available on weekdays and outside of these months. For convenience, taking the high-speed train to Yamagata from Tokyo and then catching a bus to the resort is the easiest way of reaching Zao.

Transportation to Zao

Zao ski resort is about 275 miles north of Tokyo in the south of Yamagata prefecture and is accessible by motorway or by a train/bus combination from Tokyo. The quickest way to get here is to make use of the bullet train to Fukushima and onward to Yamagata, from where buses run to Zao.

If you are travelling by car from Tokyo-Narita International Airport, you need to take the Tohoku expressway north as far as Fukushima, from where the Yamagata expressway heads northwest to Yamagata town. From here you can join highway 13 to Zao ski resort, a 4-hour journey.

By train, the Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) runs to Fukushima, from where another service heads northwest to Yamagata on the Ou line, a 3-hour journey. From Yamagata train station, the journey to Zao ski resort is an additional 45 minutes by bus.

Tokyo’s Narita International Airport is the most common point of entry into Japan. Narita receives flights from the world over including from London and other major European cities.

click here for a travel insurance uk quotation