Essential Info

When to Go

The best time to see juhyo is late January to early February. Be sure to keep an eye on weather patterns and temperatures as every season is slightly different. If you aren’t fortunate enough to visit during peak season, the end of December to the start of March often gives you the opportunity to see the snowy giants in various shapes, sizes and states of transformation. Be sure to layer up, as temperatures from -8°C to -15°C are not uncommon at this time of year.

The Juhyo Festival takes place at the beginning of February and there are World Cup ski competitions. The National Inter High School Competition will also be held at Zao Ski Resort (zaoropeway.co.jp) Feb. 8-11.

Getting There

By Car: Take the Tohoku Expressway from Tokyo to the Murata I.C. (4 hours) and then the Yamagata Expressway to Yamagata Zao I.C. (30 min.). Continue on Route 13 to Zao Onsen (30 min.).

By Train: From Tokyo take the JR Yamagata Shinkansen to Yamagata Station (2 hrs. 30 min.) and then the Zao bound bus to Zao Onsen (40 min.).

By Plane. There are flights from Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya to Yamagata Airport. From there take the bus to Zao Onsen (60 min.). From Sendai Airport there is also a direct bus (reservation required) to Zao Onsen (1 hr. 25 min.).

Place to Stay

There are a number of traditional ryokan in Zao such as the Takamiya Ryokan (zao.co.jp/lang/en/takamiya/ ) as well as classic ski lodges like Lodge Scole ( lodgescole.com ). Lodge Scole has an annual count down party Dec. 31 to celebrate the New Year.