Zao Onsen is a resort in Yamagata - Tohoku (Japan) skied between 750 and 1661 metres, with 30 km of pistes and 18 lifts.
Zao Onsen is in Yamagata - Tohoku, Japan, with the base at 750 m and the top at 1661 m.
Zao Onsen has not announced its opening date for the 2026/27 season yet. Our own estimate, based on the resort's altitude and its past seasons, puts it around December 6, 2026: that is a forecast, not an announcement. The resort confirms the date each autumn and we keep it up to date at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/zao-onsen.
Zao Onsen is expected to close for the 2026/27 season on May 6, 2027. The real date depends on how the snow holds up at the top (1661 m) late in the season, and the resort usually announces it only a few weeks ahead: the up-to-date version is at https://www.caranva.app/en/esqui/fechas-apertura/zao-onsen.
It changes daily and the resort itself publishes it every morning: snow depth by altitude, open runs and open lifts. The Zao Onsen daily report and forecast are at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/japon/zao-onsen. When it blows hard, the most exposed lifts are usually the upper ones (1661 m), so it is worth checking before driving up.
Between 750 and 1661 metres, a vertical drop of 911 m. That difference is why the snow is not the same across the whole resort on the same day: the upper slopes hold up better late in the season, while the lower part, at 750 m, is the first to feel rain or warm weather. That is why the Zao Onsen report is read by altitude band, at https://www.caranva.app/en/nieve/japon/zao-onsen.
Zao Onsen has 30 km of pistes and 18 lifts, between 750 and 1661 m of altitude.
On Caranva you book the full kit for Zao Onsen — skis, boots and poles, or a snowboard if you prefer — at https://www.caranva.app/en/shop/esqui/zao-onsen: you pick the dates and give your height, weight, shoe size and level, and the gear is waiting assembled with the bindings set to those figures. You pay online, you skip the sizing counter, and you can swap the gear in the shop if something does not fit. The alternative is walking into a shop at the resort on a first-come basis, which over a bank holiday or at Christmas means queuing for whatever is left.