Zao Onsen's famous juhyo, or 'ice monsters,' are formed when supercooled moisture from the crater lake freezes around fir trees, sculpting them into hulking, otherworldly shapes. Evening illumination tours via Zao Ropeway bathe these formations in shifting colored lights against the pitch-black winter sky. The experience is unique to Zao and has become one of Japan's most iconic winter spectacles. Nearby Zao Onsen hot spring baths provide a warm and relaxing finish after the cold mountain excursion.
- Type
- Experience
- Category
- Snow/Winter
- Season
- Winter
- Month
- January–February
- Region
- Tohoku
- Prefecture
- Yamagata
- City
- Yamagata
Highlights
- ◆Giant fir trees transformed into surreal ice monster sculptures
- ◆Dramatic nighttime colored illumination via ropeway access
- ◆Combined ropeway ride offers panoramic snow-covered mountain views
- ◆Adjacent Zao Onsen village for post-tour hot spring bathing
- ◆Peak season typically late January through mid-February