ZAO ONSEN | Japan's best hidden ski resort?

[@mariojsworld]

Great mountain scenery and snowy landscape. I liked also parts showing the night skiing and Zao Onsen.

[@真季野口]

Thank you very much for coming to Zao Onsen in Yamagata City and thank you very much for taking the nice video of the beautiful scenery and delicious food. Compared to those days, immigration to Japan has become much easier, so please come to Yamagata City again.

[@kuniesta8]

Wow beautiful ! Good trip your Thanks Zao&You

[@sivayamsiva9343]

Excellent skiing video,natural beautiful snow monster very useful detailed information, thanks for sharing, excellent photography congratulations to both of you 👌👌👌

[@wegoeast]

Thank you! Have you ever visited Zao?

[@88divinegrace]

Thank you for sharing and welcome back to the internets.

[@wegoeast]

Thank you for the comment! We've taking a little break over the winter but we're back now with a lot more planned!

[@_pokopoko1361]

a nice video! 私も蔵王大好きで毎年スノーボード行ってます

[@Darkobugs]

Finally a new video, been looking forward to it🥳

[@wegoeast]

Sorry you've had to wait so long, we took a break over the winter, but we're back with loads more videos planned!

[@johannaeglington7022]

Wowsers stunnerooney

[@wegoeast]

Thank you!

[@Ratchet944]

Absolutely stunning!!!!

[@wegoeast]

thank you! This was a fun one to make!

[@toshikawa3515]

You are good skiers. Even though you hold a camera in one hand, your skiing style is excellent.

[@wegoeast]

Thank you for the kind comment! We both love to ski!

[@kurofune.uragabay]

Awesome, thanks for sharing 🙏

[@maryclairecelis9656]

Wow amazing...

[@theodorethompson5367]

Zao looking beaut

[@wegoeast]

👀

[@olenalvovska1159]

Great review ❤thank you!

[@erlung00]

Thanks for sharing!

[@christianng2828]

Great video! Brilliant

[@kuromidori828]

樹氷のハゲモノ😮 オーストラリア人ばかりの ニセコにも行って欲しいです♪

[@wegoeast]

ニセコはオーストラリア人が多いですよね！2019年ニセコに行きてめっちゃ楽しかったですよ。⛷️

[@LifewiththeClements]

Absolute banger of a video. Great job guys! We’re going snowboarding tomorrow and there’s no way we’re gonna make it as cool as you guys did. 🤣

[@wegoeast]

Thank you guys! Where are you going to snowboard?

[@LifewiththeClements]

@@wegoeast Just northern Okayama!

[@masahiroglobal]

It's also my favorite ski resort. This is the northern limit of frost-covered trees in Japan.

[@DylanDaDrummer]

Here for the content

[@wegoeast]

here for the comments

[@yokiyo1004]

Awesome video action both of you! Appreciated the historical references, which made it very educational. Do you share this type of video with your Japanese students? I believe it would be great if you did this since it would be a superb way to teach cross-curricula lessons.

[@portal8709]

So excited to go here! Any more straggler videos in the making? 👀

[@wegoeast]

Let us know when you do and we can give you all the recommendations! And yes we have some up our sleeves haha keep your eyes peeled

[@ncnwchiang4769]

Thanks for the great info, may I know what month when you made this video?

[@wegoeast]

Thank you! We made this video in the first half of January, at the time

[@effex1781]

Hi, do you have any recommendation for rentals of ski gears near Zao? Was looking to stay in yamagata and head to Mount Zao for day time ski/snowboard. Thanks!!!! We will be heading to Yamagata City Sendai, could you share whats the express bus from Sendai to Yamagata too?

[@wegoeast]

We rented from Best Pro Rental Shop almost directly opposite the Zao Sky Cable gondola bottom station. Can highly recommend them, and they're only a short walk from the bus terminal. The bus to Yamagata from Sendai is VERY confusing to find (blame Sendai's impossible to navigate bus terminal), so I would recommend getting the train to yamagata Station. There is a direct sendai to zao route but it runs infrequently

[@meijingho]

Is the downhill track beginner friendly?

[@wegoeast]

Yes, there are lots of beginner friendly slopes, but the weather is often foggy with poor visibility which makes it a bit more difficult

[@Renarealle]

heya! can you please let me know the name of the ryokan that you were staying at?

[@wegoeast]

It's callee Meitoya Sou (but Takamiya Ryokan Sou on Booking dot com). It really was brilliant and we can't recommend it more!

[@angelchan8748]

Hi, my family is planning a ski trip to JP in December 23, 2025 - January 2, 2026. Do you think the snow at ZAO will be good enough to start the season? I know it’s hard to predict, just like to get some idea in general. thank you

[@wegoeast]

As you said it's difficult to predict, but I would be fairly confident that the snow would be more than good enough for skiing on piste. The snow monsters may not look their best due to it being relatively early season, but the skiing should be fine!

[@BellThompson]

Do Japanese ski resorts have apres ski?

[@wegoeast]

Not in the European sense! A couple of beers and light bites in a local Izakaya (Japanese pub type place) is about all you'll find outside the big resorts - Niseko or Hakuba

[@kenoikawa9204]

is going on early january good?

[@wegoeast]

So we went around January 12th and the snow was great for skiing, and the snow monsters were as you see in the video. Prime snow monster viewing is in Feb, but i would highly recommend going in January! 😄

[@kenoikawa9204]

Thanks!@@wegoeast

[@GK-wx6xo]

Is the skiing there still good in early march?

[@wegoeast]

Powder days in March are few and far between, but you'll be able to ski most of the resort In my opinion

[@GK-wx6xo]

@@wegoeast Really appreciate the response. Thank you.

[@tomlitton80]

What's the name of this Ryokan?? 😍

[@wegoeast]

It's called the Meitoya Sou (but if you book through booking dot com like we did, it's called Takamiya Ryokan Sou) - I cant recommend it more! 5 min walk to the slopes, great onsen, great food!

[@adriantan476]

Which Ryokan is this, any contact details ? Thanks

[@wegoeast]

We stayed at the wonderful Meitoya Sou (which confusingly is called Takamiya Ryokan Sou on Booking dot com). I cannot recommend it enough, everything was excellent during our stay and its only a few minutes walk to the ski slopes in winter

[@adriantan476]

Thanks