Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
Zao Onsen ski resort
- Top 1,665 m
- 39 km of runs
- 35 lifts
- ❄️ About 13 mm of snow forecast this week
Good for
- Beginners76% of mapped runs are easy
From OpenSkiMap piste data, SnowTrex’s stay listings.
The short answer
Zao Onsen has about 39 km of mapped runs and 35 lifts, with skiing from about 791 m up to 1,665 m (5,463 ft), a vertical drop of 875 m. By mapped runs it is number 3 of the 42 Japan ski areas in our list. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Yamagata (GAJ), about 28 km away in a straight line.
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Zao Onsen 7-day mountain forecast
At about 1,228 m · updated 13 Nov, 04:41 UTC
About 13 mm of precipitation as likely snow in the next week (water equivalent).
- Fri 1312°4°0 mm
- Sat 1413°5°2.9 mm
- Sun 157°5°6 mm
- Mon 165°-3°0.5 mm
- Tue 173°-2°8.6 mm
- Wed 189°3°34.3 mm
- Thu 191°-2°18.2 mm
Forecast data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). "Likely snow" = precipitation with the temperature at or below 0.5 °C; resort snow reports and avalanche bulletins are the authority on conditions.
Zao Onsen logo from zao-ski.or.jp. Logos are trademarks of their owners, shown for identification; no endorsement implied.
Ski area facts
- Top elevation
- 1,665 m5,463 ft
- Vertical drop
- 875 m2,871 ft
- Mapped runs
- 39 km91 runs
- Lifts
- 35mostly chairlifts
Runs by difficulty
About 76% of the mapped run length is novice or easy, 18% intermediate and 6% advanced or harder. Difficulty follows OpenStreetMap’s international scale (in Europe, easy ≈ blue, intermediate ≈ red, advanced ≈ black).
| Difficulty | Runs | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Novice | 24 | 16.1 km |
| Easy | 44 | 13.7 km |
| Intermediate | 17 | 7.1 km |
| Advanced | 6 | 2.4 km |
Lifts
35 mapped lifts, most of them chairlifts.
| Lift type | Count |
|---|---|
| Chairlifts | 31 |
| Gondolas | 2 |
| Cable cars | 2 |
Piste map
For the current official piste map, open the resort’s website. You can also explore every mapped run and lift on OpenSkiMap’s interactive map.
Nearest airports
Airports with scheduled flights, by straight-line distance (road distance is longer).
| Airport | City | Straight-line distance |
|---|---|---|
| Yamagata (GAJ) | Higashine | 28 km |
| Sendai (SDJ) | Natori | 44 km |
| Shonai (SYO) | Shonai | 91 km |
| Niigata (KIJ) | Niigata | 116 km |
Frequently asked questions
What is the elevation of Zao Onsen?
The highest mapped run starts at about 1,665 m (5,463 ft) and the lowest ends at about 791 m (2,595 ft), a vertical of 875 m (2,871 ft).
How many km of ski runs does Zao Onsen have?
OpenStreetMap maps about 39 km of downhill runs and 35 lifts. The resort’s own figure may differ because it measures runs differently.
What is the nearest airport to Zao Onsen?
Yamagata (GAJ) is the closest airport with scheduled flights, about 28 km away in a straight line.
Where can I see the Zao Onsen piste map?
Use the resort’s official website for the current piste map, or view the mapped runs and lifts on OpenSkiMap.
Ski area data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), processed by OpenSkiMap; airports from OurAirports. Retrieved . Elevations are those of the highest and lowest mapped runs; run lengths are measured from the map and can differ from the resort’s published figures. Check the official website before you book.