Zaō Snow Monsters (Juhyō)

Background

This entry covers the Yamagata side of the Zaō range, around Zaō Onsen in Yamagata City (Yamagata Zaō). The range straddles Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures, and the Miyagi side has its own juhyō viewing area; Zaō Town in Miyagi Prefecture is not the same place as Zaō Onsen in Yamagata City, so keep the two apart when planning. The Zaō range is a cluster of stratovolcanoes whose highest point is 1,841 metres; its most recent eruption was in May 1940. Juhyō are not real monsters: supercooled droplets carried by strong winter winds freeze onto the branches of subalpine conifers such as the Aomori todomatsu fir, forming ice that grows into the wind; snow then settles on top, and layer by layer the trees become huge, oddly shaped figures of ice and snow, hence the English name "snow monsters". Zaō Onsen at the foot of the mountains is known for its milky, sulphur-scented water, and the local Zaō Takayu kokeshi is one of the twelve traditional kokeshi schools of the Tōhoku region. In summer and autumn you can visit the Okama crater lake near the prefectural border; it is closed in winter.

Local customs

• Ride the Sanroku and Sanchō lines of the Zaō Ropeway to Jizō Sanchō Station and walk the juhyō field on the officially designated route
• on certain dates the juhyō are illuminated at night and you can take an evening ropeway for a closer look (dates are subject to the official seasonal notice)
• back down, bathe at Zaō Onsen and visit kokeshi workshops to browse and buy.

Travel tips

• The juhyō season generally runs from late December to early March. The trees are at their largest in February, which is also when most night illuminations are held
• their shape changes with temperature, wind and snow, and from March they gradually melt and thin, so check the official seasonal notice. Summit temperatures can fall below minus 10 °C and the wind is strong, so be sure to bring full cold-weather gear.
• From the Yamagata Station area, take a bus to Zaō Onsen, then ride the two-stage ropeway up
• the summit area is explored on foot (check official and station notices for services). Summer is good for hiking around the Okama crater lake, and spring and autumn for hot springs and mountain walks.