Yamagata, Yamagata / 蔵王温泉
Zao Onsen
A hot-spring town said to date back 1,900 years, with Tohoku's most acidic sulphur water (pH 1.25-1.6) and three public baths open 6:00-22:00 for 300 yen.
Last official check
25 Sept 2026
Traveler reports
0
Reports open in Phase 2
Next scheduled check
24 Dec 2026
Before you go
Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is marked “Not checked yet”.
- Opening hours
The public baths (Kamiyu, Shimoyu and Kawarayu) are open 6:00-22:00 all year.
Checked 25 Sept 2026 on the official site- Closed
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Admission
Public baths: adults 300 yen, children 100 yen.
Checked 25 Sept 2026 on the official site- Getting there
About 40 minutes by bus from Yamagata Station to the Zao Onsen bus terminal; about 20 minutes by car from Yamagata-Kaminoyama IC.
Checked 25 Sept 2026 on the official site- Parking
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Payment
At the public baths, put the fee in the box at each bath.
Checked 25 Sept 2026 on the official site- Accessibility
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
Found wrong or outdated information? Let us know
Address: Yamagata, Yamagata (Japanese address: 山形県山形市蔵王温泉)
Official site: https://zaomountainresort.com/about/
Location
Smaller pins are other spots nearby.
Nearby spots
Photo: Yamagata Prefecture (yamagatakanko.com)Zao Ropeway (snow monsters)YamagataLess than 1 km away (straight line)- No photo yetZao Onsen Dai-rotenburo Open-air BathYamagataLess than 1 km away (straight line)
Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)Zao Okama Crater LakeMiyagi5 km away (straight line)- No photo yetNanokamachi GotenzekiYamagata11 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetBunshokan (former Yamagata Prefectural Office)Yamagata11 km away (straight line)
Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances.
Crowds
- Crowd level
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Best time to visit
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Peak time
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest days
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest season
In winter (January-February) you can see the snow monsters (rime-covered trees) from the Zao Ropeway, lit up at night; in summer, the Okama crater lake.
Checked 25 Sept 2026 on the official site- Latest traveler report
- None yet
Traveler crowd data by time of day appears after 5 traveler reports (0 so far).
You can check typical busy hours in Google Maps ("Popular times" on the place's page). Open this spot in Google Maps
Visiting respectfully
- Local etiquetteThe town has 3 public baths, 3 footbaths and 5 day-use bathhouses, open to non-guests.Checked 25 Sept 2026 on the official site
Verification log
- 25 Sept 2026First check · Tourism board · https://zaomountainresort.com/about/Hours, fees and description read from a tourism organization's site.
- 25 Sept 2026First check · Tourism board · https://yamagatakanko.com/attractions/detail_2766.htmlAccess and coordinates read from a tourism organization's site.