絕對沒看過的【藏王樹冰】萬里無雲+積雪三米+海景=超震撼雪怪景｜纜車排隊or快通必坑指南｜超彈性交通組合讓你解放餐廳選擇自由｜獨立衛浴住宿大推滑雪觀光泡湯都滿足｜不跟團也能去日本東北山形銀山溫泉狐狸村

絕對沒看過的【藏王樹冰】萬里無雲+積雪三米+海景=超震撼雪怪景｜纜車排隊or快通必坑指南｜超彈性交通組合讓你解放餐廳選擇自由｜獨立衛浴住宿大推滑雪觀光泡湯都滿足｜不跟團也能去日本東北山形銀山溫泉狐狸村

This time, our group of 13 set out separately from Taiwan and Kobe. We chose to travel independently, planning everything ourselves. We set out to experience Japan’s famous Zao snow monsters and go skiing during the winter. But during peak snow season, actually seeing the snow monsters smoothly means you need to have your transportation, lodging, and meals all sorted out. It’s really not that simple. Especially in Zao. If you don’t have your transportation planned out, after you land, just transferring and waiting for trains can waste most of your day. If you pick the wrong place to stay, just getting around each day becomes a hassle. And if you’re unlucky, and pick the wrong time to go up the mountain, You might just see a blanket of white everywhere. This time, my friends all had different things they wanted to do. Some wanted to go skiing. Some wanted to see the snow monsters. Some wanted to relax in the hot springs. Some also wanted to do some sightseeing. But we only had five days and four nights. So how did I plan the trip to make everyone happy? Besides the usual trains and buses, I’m going to show you a transportation option in Zao that not many people talk about in detail. It’s a combination of hiring a car and driving ourselves. It’s perfect for a flexible group trip like ours. Next, let me show you how we managed things on this trip. Made it smoothly to the top of Mount Zao. With hardly a cloud in the sky. Saw a snow monster made of rime ice in perfect shape. Hey everyone, I’m Leo. We’re lining up now to go up to the summit. Not sure if we’re supposed to buy tickets while waiting in line or what. I just asked, and they told me to get in line first. Line up first. We haven’t exchanged our early-bird tickets yet either. And those of you without tickets still haven’t bought them yet. So we’re a bit confused about what to do. Plus, according to the schedule, it’s not open yet. But the line keeps moving forward. No idea why. Let’s start by talking with everyone. Why is Zao’s snow monster one of Japan’s three most famous snow ice formations so well-known? How do these snow monsters form? I’m sure many people have already talked about this. So I’ll just give a quick explanation. Snow monsters are actually formed by a mix of rime ice and piled-up snow. They’re not exclusive to Zao. But thanks to this area’s unique terrain, climate, and tree species, plus excellent tourist facilities and transportation, it has become the largest of its kind, and the most impressive in appearance. It’s a place where the snow and ice turn the trees into monster-like shapes. It’s one of the world’s rare and iconic winter spectacles. That’s why so many people are eager to come see it. But what you often see online is, Zao’s snow monsters are typically viewed from late December to early March each year. The most breathtaking sights are usually from late January to late February. That’s considered the prime time to visit. But is that actually true? Let me show you what I found in the proceedings from the Japan Snow Monsters Society’s national conference. I gathered data spanning the ten years from 2012 to 2022. on the actual snow monster observations at Zao. The charts in the research are pretty complex. I’ll break it down for you with simple animations and tables. First, the orange bar shows the actual period each winter when you can see the snow monsters You can tell from this the real viewing season for the snow monsters is actually different every year In 6 out of the past 10 years, the actual viewing season was much shorter than the typical viewing season we just talked about Even more surprising, sometimes the snow monsters can completely disappear in the middle of the season due to poor conditions And in 5 out of those 10 years, the snow monsters completely melted away during what’s supposed to be the best time to visit So really, late January to late February gives you the best chance to see the snow monsters But there’s absolutely no guarantee you’ll get to see them. That’s also why people often say, seeing the snow monsters really depends on your luck. Even if your trip is scheduled right when the snow monsters have actually formed and are supposed to be visible, you still might miss them because of the weather. That’s because snow monsters only form under harsh winter conditions. That means strong winds, freezing temperatures, lots of moisture, and heavy snowfall. Those conditions often come with blizzards and thick fog. which can turn everything into a total whiteout. So visibility is usually really poor. That’s actually the most common situation during this season. Let me show you what this snow season looks like. Here’s the historical weather data for all of Yamagata Prefecture from early 2025. In January, there were only two days with completely clear skies. In February, there were just four days with totally clear weather. Why am I only focusing on the data for perfectly clear days? Because these statistics cover the entire Yamagata area. But in reality, the weather up at the Zao summit is usually even worse. So, aside from times when the ropeway is shut down and you can’t go up the mountain, You can still hope to stand right next to the snow monsters and see them up close. Experience what it’s like to be surrounded by those snow monsters. Don’t feel like you have to see the entire field of snow monsters. It’s best to keep your expectations modest. After all, most of us foreign travelers have already set our travel dates. Whether or not we get to see the most stunning views really just depends on luck, so it’s best to go with the flow. Still, we did use a few tools this time around. We managed to catch perfect weather for heading up the mountain to see the frost-covered trees. Here are a few tools I’d recommend to help you decide. First up is the Snow Forecast app. It lets you check conditions at specific ski resorts. You can see weather data for the base, mid-mountain, and summit. Because the weather at the summit can be very different from the base or mid-mountain. For instance, This time, I searched for Zao Onsen Ski Resort. 英文搜尋 Yamagata Zao Onsen Then, click on the summit to check the weather forecast for the top. My second recommendation is a website for checking visibility. You can use the free version of this website to view it. It shows real-time conditions for a specific summit. It provides visibility forecasts for up to five hours ahead. For example, you can use it together with Google Maps. Find the peak that’s closest to the Zao ski resort summit. That way, you can see the visibility data for the Zao summit. The third one is the official website for the Zao Ropeway. You can check the ropeway’s operating status there. After all, if it’s not running, you won’t be able to get up there. Or you can check out the Zao Ropeway’s official Facebook or Instagram. They regularly post updates about the snow monsters and weather conditions for that day. But they don’t update every single day. The night before, when we arrived in Zao, I checked the forecast for February 15th, and it said it would be perfectly clear. Right away, I told everyone traveling with me, We absolutely had to get up early the next morning to head up the mountain. Just like our coach had mentioned to us before, Everyone says weather like this is really rare. Yeah, it’s super rare. It’s only the third clear day in the last two months. Seriously? There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. Usually, there’s at least a little bit of cloud cover. Clear days are pretty rare at Zao during ski season. If you spot blue skies, make sure to head up to the summit right away to see the snow monsters. After you’ve decided to go up the mountain, the next thing to focus on is getting your tickets. A lot of people get confused about the difference between ski passes and ropeway tickets. Let me break it down for you. It’s really not that complicated. Normally, at ski resorts, A ‘snow ticket’ is basically the same as a ski pass, and it usually includes cable car rides too. Once you buy it, you can use all the lifts at the ski area. But some cable cars are open specifically for sightseeing visitors who aren’t skiing. These are usually gondolas that go both up and down the mountain. Chairlifts usually only take you up, not down. Plus, they’re not really meant for people without ski gear. That’s why some ski resorts sell special tickets for certain lifts. We usually call these ‘sightseeing lift tickets.’ With this ticket, you can’t ski—it’s just for sightseeing. Here at Zao, the sightseeing lift ticket Although you can buy tickets for the ascent in two separate segments, I always suggest getting a ticket straight to the top. In my opinion, the most stunning views are at the summit. Since you’ve come all this way, don’t skip this part. Let me show you what our day looked like first. Because for the 2024–25 ski season, The sightseeing ticketing system here at Zao is new. Some of us bought ski tickets in advance, while others didn’t. Some people weren’t skiing—they just wanted to sightsee. Let me show you what it was like for us at the time. We were really confused—the whole process felt chaotic. After actually going through it and then doing some research when I got back, If the ticketing system stays the same for the new season, I’ll put together the most accurate information later for everyone to use as a reference. Hopefully, you won’t run into the same issues we did when you go. So your experience will go much more smoothly. We bought early-bird tickets ahead of time on the official platform. It’s right next to this station—basically, just beside the ropeway station here. There’s a machine right in the middle. You don’t have to wait for the staffed counter to open to exchange it. It’s located outside. It’s right here. So, since we bought this, It comes with a QR code. Press ‘Issue’. ‘Issue’. Then just scan it. You don’t need to press anything else. Early Bird Overseas (early bird ticket). Yep, that’s all there is to it. Adult. That’s it, yeah. But if you haven’t bought a ticket, you still won’t know where to line up. We’re in line right now; the right side is for people buying tickets. The left side is for people who already have tickets. Cash? Pay with cash here. We’re paying by credit card, so we’re waiting on this side. This is just the sightseeing cable car. Yeah, this doesn’t include the ski pass. So, which one should we get? Round-trip. Round-trip. Is it for the snow monsters (plateau) or the summit of Mount Jizo? The summit. I have no idea what the rules are—I don’t get it. Hey, can you check if he can select the ski pass? No, he can’t. Alright, then you’ll just have to get a round-trip (sightseeing) ticket. Aren’t you using your card? Yeah. Yeah, that’s right. If it’s over thirty thousand, you can’t use your card. Oh, then just buy fewer for now. Just buy one less for now. You can’t use your card for over thirty thousand? That’s so lame. They’re taking forever to issue them, too. Wow, so now you guys have to buy more ski tickets. Alright, whatever—it’s already done. We’re already here, so let’s not overthink it. No one listened to me about buying the early-bird ski tickets first. Hey, don’t blame me—I was on team buy-early. Come on, let’s head outside first and figure things out later. Everyone who was just in line for tickets has come over here now. Seriously, it’s better to get in line first. Didn’t they already line up earlier? Oh, you bought your early-bird snow ticket online too, right? Yeah, I already exchanged it. You managed to exchange it already? Can he use that ticket for this (sightseeing cable car) too? Yeah, he can use it for this. This cable car opens at 8:30, and actually, both types of tickets work. Right now, they’re only selling sightseeing tickets inside. They say snow tickets go on sale at 8:15, but they actually started selling them at 8:00. Let’s settle up the money in a bit. This one’s just for sightseeing. You buy the ski pass over here. Exactly. And since we just bought a 4,200 yen sightseeing ropeway ticket, we’re checking if we can swap it for a ski pass. Here’s the price for the ski pass. Excuse me, can I exchange this sightseeing ticket? Yes, you can. Really? English: Okay!
Medium: Yes We can do it! Hey, give me your ticket so I can exchange it—hurry up! Ticket, ticket, ticket! J: Five o’clock?
C: Five tickets? J: Yep.
C: That’s right. Our Japanese speaker is awesome. J: Yes, thank you.
C: Okay, thank you. Awesome, awesome. Yes! We did it. Hey, we can switch it. They refunded our sightseeing ticket and then charged the card again for the ski pass. Yeah, that’s right. Oh, so how much is it then? A one-day ski pass at the counter is 7,500 yen. We got the early bird online ski pass for 6,700 yen. It’s about 8:37 now. And we’ve already lined up to the entrance. Let’s loop around the parking lot. Yeah. The line is so long. That’s why you still need to come early. That’s right. Just like we talked about earlier. The upperclassman is right. We’re almost there. Wow, the lighting is gorgeous. Our photographer. Another photographer. The girl asked him to take her picture. If you want me, you’ll have to get in line now. I’ve already made it to my spot in line. He said he wants to line up. The line is so long, it just keeps going. For real? Yeah, really. I’ll show you in a minute. What about you? Are you just taking pictures of your girlfriend? Alright. There’s a priority lane over here. I noticed all the tour groups use this lane. So people keep getting in line ahead of us. That just makes the wait even longer. We started lining up at 7:30, and now it’s almost 9:30. Heh. (laughs wryly) And the wait for the cable car looks super long. Totally. You found out about express passes, but you don’t know where to get them. But it seems like you need to make a reservation early. But this person just arrived on February 6th, according to what he said… Yeah, just buy it straight from the official website. Yeah. If you buy tickets on the official site, you don’t have to wait in line for the first section up. And he said… they’ll release spots for a week later. Special deal for booking ticket packages online. How much is it? Is it a priority pass? Yeah—oh, the priority only applies to the first section. Just pick anything for now. The 18th. It’s only 1,000 yen. Hmm, why is it so cheap? Yeah, why is it so cheap? Is the priority ticket really just 1,000 yen? (My friend really wants to get one.) You have to book early—they’re all gone now. We can book it for the day we leave. Everyone, check out the wall to the right of the entrance. You can double-check the weather at all three stations for that day. Especially pay attention to visibility and snow depth. That way, we’ll know how lucky we are that day. Clear skies and almost three meters of snow. The priority lane is on the right. There’s absolutely no one here. So this is the actual round-trip priority ticket. So it’s 5,000 yen. But it’s already sold out. Yeah, it’s 5,000. How much is it here? 4,200? So it’s only 800 less. If you all want to come here, you should book this a week in advance. Yeah. If you can get tickets, you’ll save a lot of waiting time. Yeah, we’ve been waiting a long time. It’s 9:40 now. We’ve been waiting for over two hours. Now it’s 10 o’clock. We can finally see the cable car entrance. Is everyone tired? I’m exhausted. I’m exhausted. And it’s freezing. I need to go to the bathroom. Same here. The cable car is ridiculously slow. It’s surprising that a tourist spot like this has such a cable car (frustrated sigh). The summit’s over there. I’m really jealous of the people who get to use the priority lane first. Some priority tickets have set times, while others don’t. JP: Hai, stop…
CN: Stop, we’re getting off here first… Finally, it’s our turn. Everyone’s worn out. There’s another section coming up. The second section is the kind that seats 18 people (misspoke). That one’s a lot faster. So if we could ski, we could take another chairlift to the Snow Monsters Plateau station and then transfer to that one. That would be much quicker. It takes 7 minutes to get to Juhyo Kogen Station. Alright, I bet everyone feels just as confused as we do, right? Let me clear things up for you right now. This ticket covers four segments from Zao Sanroku Station to Jizo Summit Station. For the 2024/25 snow season, online booking and priority tickets are now available. Here are the ticket prices. A regular sightseeing ticket costs ¥4,200. If you want a priority sightseeing ticket, it’s ¥5,000. There are a few important rules and tips you should pay attention to. First, priority tickets can be reserved up to 7 days in advance. Be ready to book your ticket at midnight Japan time, exactly 7 days before your visit. Second, priority access only applies to the first uphill segment. There are no tickets available for the second section or either of the downhill sections. Third: No matter what type of ticket you have, Whether you bought it online or as a package at the bus station, When you arrive, you have to go to a staffed counter or a self-service kiosk, to exchange it for a physical paper ticket. Of course, you can also buy tickets on site, but you’ll need to spend extra time waiting in line. And you won’t be able to purchase priority tickets there. Fourth: For the first cable car section, tourists and skiers line up together; there’s no separate queue. For the second section, the lines are separated, but everyone boards together. Fifth: If you’ve already bought a ski pass, you can use it to go up the mountain for sightseeing. Or you can try to book your reservation online in advance. Pay an extra ¥1,000 to get a priority pass just for skiers. If you combine both (ski lift ticket + priority pass), it’s basically the same as the regular sightseeing priority ticket. Lastly, besides the easy-to-follow guide I put together for everyone, If you’re a skier and didn’t manage to get a priority pass, and you run into a busy holiday with perfect weather and big crowds like we did, I suggest you skip lining up for the first gondola at the base station. If you check the ropeway stats on Zao’s official website, The first base line uses large gondolas that hold 53 people each. Two gondolas take turns going up and down the mountain. In theory, they can only carry 364 people per hour. But in reality, it’s probably even less than that. This lift has much less capacity than most of the other lifts at the ski resort. That’s why the wait for this part is so long. Based on what you just saw and our actual experience waiting in line, I’ve mapped out the queue route and the timing for you. If you see this when you get in line, that the line has already wrapped around this small ticket booth, it means there’s a good chance you’ll be waiting for over an hour. So if you’re a skier, I suggest two faster ways to get up. Go up to Juhyo Kogen Station, which is where you board the second gondola. Then head straight up to the summit. The first way is: You can start your journey from the Yokokura No. 23 gondola at 8:30 AM. Then keep transferring to gondolas 26, 27, and 28. For this route, the ski trails between the gondolas are relatively short. They’re also not very flat. So you’ll transfer a bit faster. Based on my own experience over the past three days, taking the gondolas, skiing, and walking takes about 42 minutes total. The second way is, You can start from the Central No. 3 gondola at 8:15 AM. Go all the way to cable cars 12 → 17 This route has more flat ski trails, and they’re quite long. If you’re a beginner at snowboarding (and in a rush), I wouldn’t recommend this route. I personally tested this route too. Taking the lift, snowboarding, and walking took me a total of 59 minutes. There are two options. The earliest you can get to the No. 2 lift is around 9:15. I’m not including the trail and lift tour footage here. If you’re interested, check out my next video when it’s up. This slope’s steepest section is 38 degrees. You can see tracks from people who’ve skied here. It’s reserved for advanced skiers and snowboarders only. It’s extremely steep. Do you want to try it out? I’m definitely going to give it a try. I probably would have pushed it down too. JP: We’ve arrived at Juhyo Kogen Station.
CN: Arrived at Juhyo Kogen Station. EN: Thank you for riding with us today.
CN: Thank you for riding with us today. EN: You’ll need to transfer to the summit ropeway line.
CN: You need to transfer to the summit ropeway line. JP: Yes, please be careful.
CN: Please be careful when getting off. Let’s head out. I need to hit the restroom first—I’m about to burst. This is right outside Juhyo Kogen Station. When we got there, How the skiers were lining up If the weather’s nice and it’s a holiday, it’s super crowded. But the second ropeway clears out the crowds way faster than the first one. This is where you enter to board the second leg of the cable car. You’ll be able to see it from here. On the right, there are automatic gates for scanning ski passes—these are for skiers. On the left, there’s manual ticket checking for those with sightseeing tickets. Here, you can see what I just mentioned. The lines are separated, but once inside, everyone rides together. The scenery along this part of the cable car ride is absolutely stunning. You can already see lots of fully formed snow monsters on the trees. Honestly, I think this moving perspective… …feels even more impressive than seeing them from the summit. So I’ll let everyone enjoy the view. After all the effort and challenges, We finally made it to the top! It’s really windy up here, and much colder than at the base. Make sure to layer up before you come. Wear something with a hood and shoes with good grip. There’s a spot inside the station where you can borrow snow boots for free. Bring sunglasses or snow goggles. You’ll see why once we step outside in a bit. There are several great photo spots at the top. I’ll point them out for everyone. The viewing platform above the station already has a great view, and today the weather is just perfect, so honestly, the view is fantastic no matter where you are on the summit. In a bit, if we look in the other direction, we can even see the Pacific Ocean. The sunlight reflecting off the snow here is really harsh on your eyes. It’s tough to really take in the scenery. Plus, it’s really windy. So I put on my snow goggles right away. This area is mostly covered in deep snow. There are lots of uneven spots, and it’s actually pretty slippery. Even this person slipped a little on a flat spot. That’s why having the right shoes is so important. Did you get a photo with the famous landmark here? The Jizo statue is buried. Normally you’d see it, but the snow is just too deep. What? It’s already buried underneath. Yeah. Is this its head? This is its head. Because the snow is so deep. Yeah, the snow’s really deep. Oh. Oh, I know this—I’ve seen it before. If you walk past Jizo, you’ll reach this boundary. Then you can see the Pacific Ocean I mentioned earlier. Actually, it’s Sendai Bay. The view here is absolutely incredible. And it took us a long time to get up here. So we ended up taking tons of photos here. You can see the snow monsters in their full form. Plus, with weather this good. It was totally worth it. Check out the pictures we took. Wear something with a hood. Put on your ski goggles. If you’re well-equipped. It actually makes it easier to get good photos of you. Otherwise, a lot of us end up with our eyes closed in the photos. And our hair is all over the place. So I really recommend getting ready before heading up here. If you’re someone who can handle backcountry skiing (off the main trails). Skiing down from up there is awesome. Totally. You just ski right through the snow monsters and down. I’m thinking of trying it in the next couple of days. For the next two days, we stayed on the mountainside or looked out toward the city. The weather was actually pretty nice. But once we got to the summit, the weather turned really bad. We couldn’t see a thing. So I didn’t get to make that wish come true. If you also happen to run into really bad weather, but you have plenty of time, I suggest you don’t rush to head back down. You can grab something to eat or drink at the restaurant on top. Look out the restaurant windows. You can check out what’s going on outside. Take a break and hang out for a bit. See if you get a chance for the weather or visibility to clear up. As soon as the weather cleared up, I went right outside to see. That’s another good option. For the part about seeing the ice trees, the very last step is heading down the mountain. That day, my 12 friends didn’t have time to rent ski equipment. So they all took the gondola down the mountain. I had my own gear with me. So I decided to ski straight down. I highly recommend this to anyone who knows how to ski, you’ve got to ski down if you can. Of course, taking the gondola down is steadier and safer. But skiing past those ice trees is truly an incredible experience. The scenery of ice trees along the slopes is way more beautiful than at the summit. But when it comes to these two ways of getting down the mountain, It actually took us less than 30 minutes for the whole trip. It was pretty much the same. Maybe it’s because it was my first time skiing down that route and I wasn’t familiar with it. But if you head down in the afternoon or evening, I’m sure there will be a lot more people. It’ll probably take longer. I’m sure everyone will ask, How do you get to this famous snowy wonderland smoothly? Next, let me share our super comfortable and flexible transportation plans. For this trip to Zao, I started out from Kobe. The other 12 friends started out from Taiwan. We all met up directly at Sendai Airport. After that, we’ll head to Yamagata together and then go up the mountain. But honestly, getting to Zao in winter is actually a bit tricky. Here’s a simplified map of all the official transportation options for the Zao Ropeway. If you’re visiting from another country like we are, Most people probably fly into Sendai Airport. Or take a plane from a domestic flight to Yamagata Airport From there, there are basically two main ways to get to Zao. One is to go directly to Zao. The other is to arrive at Yamagata Station first Then you’ll need to find a way up the mountain to Zao. The buses to and from Yamagata Airport are usually scheduled to match domestic flight times. If you’re taking a direct route to Zao, you need to book in advance. But if you’re heading to Yamagata Station, no reservation is required. Since most of us are flying in from Taiwan this time, we’re only looking at options departing from Sendai Airport. Most of the travel methods you’ll find online The first option is to take a direct bus to Zao. There are only three buses per day. And these also require advance reservations. The benefit is you don’t need to transfer. But the downside is, if we want to visit other places, we’d have to catch another bus, which is less convenient. Another commonly recommended way It is to take a bus or rail to Yamagata Station first But this bus is even less frequent—just two runs a day. If your flight times don’t line up, your only real option is the train. There are plenty of train departures. But you’ll need to transfer along the way. It’s more time-consuming and tiring. Once you get to Yamagata Station, you can transfer to a bus to go up the mountain. Or you could take a taxi instead. All of these common ways First, you have to coordinate all the transportation schedules. Second, they’re not very flexible. That’s why we went with an option most people don’t mention. We chartered a car from Sendai Airport to Yamagata Station, then rented a car and drove ourselves up to Zao. It was a really comfortable way to travel. I think this is a great option for anyone planning a DIY trip. It also helps address some of the common issues at Zao Ski Resort. It gives you more options for your itinerary. Let’s check it out together. This is my first time at Osaka’s Itami Airport. We’re flying to Sendai today. The flight’s delayed by 10 minutes. JP: Attention, everyone.
CN: All passengers, please board. At the same time, my friends took EVA Air nonstop from Taoyuan to Sendai. Everyone says flights on this route get super expensive during ski season. So, just how pricey are they? We picked the two weeks right after Lunar New Year 2025. Leaving on February 14 and coming back on the 18th. There aren’t many flights from Taiwan to Sendai to choose from. That’s why the ticket prices are usually higher. Let me share something with you all. Here’s what we actually noticed about how the prices changed. In early June, the lowest price was about NT$16,000. By late August, it had gone up to NT$26,000. After that, right up until our departure, it fluctuated between NT$23,000 and NT$33,000. Actually, even earlier at the beginning of the year, we saw prices around NT$12,000 to NT$13,000. So if you’re planning to fly this route during ski season, it’s best to start tracking ticket prices early. We ended up buying our tickets on July 25th. The ticket costs NT$19,780. I’m at Sendai Airport right now. I’m waiting for my other twelve friends. I went to Kansai two days early to visit a Japanese friend. So I came in on a domestic flight. I arrived about two hours before them. Our timing is actually pretty awkward. If we want to take a direct bus, There’s only one at 5:00 PM. Even though we got here so early. So before I came here, I kept searching for a chartered car. But I really couldn’t find any online. Most of them only go to Sendai. Or they’re just for sightseeing tours. Anyway, there’s no direct route from Sendai Airport to Yamagata Station. Since some of us aren’t skiing the entire time. It’s still more convenient for us to have a car. They can go do their own activities. That’s why we’re arranging it this way. So I was thinking, Alright, I’ll check at the airport. If there’s a travel agency on site that can arrange a private car. I asked here, and they said no. But I found someone here who can help us book a private car. They’re checking for us now. JP: Thank you
CN: Thanks (thumbs up means OK) Thanks! You’re welcome. Thanks so much. Let me figure out the total for you first. Sure. Car, gas, highway tolls, and referral fee. 128,800 (yen) Alright. Does the 5 p.m. one fill up fast? Yeah, because most people… EVA, Starlux, and the Hong Kong flights are all pretty much crowded in the afternoon too. Oh, I see. There are quite a lot of people on the 5 p.m. flight now. Only two flights a day—I was surprised how few there are. Yeah, it’s really inconvenient. Totally. A lot of customers ask, ‘So what do we do?’ We had no choice but to go to Sendai Station to catch it. Do you want to go ahead and wait for them? They said the car would come at 3 PM. Sure. Turns out he was Taiwanese—such a coincidence. It was really convenient to speak Chinese. They happened to work with a local car service. Then he helped me ask. It was the same day, just about two hours in advance. We asked at 1 PM and scheduled the car for 3 PM. He took care of it for me—super helpful. Of course, it wasn’t cheap. We chartered a tour bus. There were just thirteen of us. Because it was all so last-minute. It’s about ¥9,908 per person. That’s roughly NT$2,100 per person. If you were planning to take the JR train or the bus, It would be around NT$400–500 per person. So it’s about five times more expensive. But for the first day, It’s more important to save time and energy and get there early to enjoy yourself. I’ve already added him. If anyone needs it, just leave a comment and ask me for his contact info. After everything was sorted out, I could finally relax. There was still some time before my friend arrived and got through customs. So I went to try the famous beef tongue in Sendai. The place at the airport was pretty good—I recommend it. After we finished eating, my friends started coming out of customs one by one. So you guys are arriving at 2 PM, right? Yeah, about that. They got out in half an hour—that’s pretty fast. They got here early. Yeah, the plane landed ahead of schedule. Oh yeah, flights have been arriving early lately. Alright, we’ll meet you over there a bit later. OK. Sounds good. Hey, you’re the last one—let’s get going. He mentioned a tour bus, and I figured a little over 2,000 NT was fine. Because it’s a tour bus. Everyone can stretch out and sleep later. Whoa, that’s huge! Yep, everyone gets their own seat. Seriously, it’s one seat per person. Alright, sorry about that. I’m the one who set up your ride today. I’m Wei. It’ll take you about an hour to an hour and a half today. Unless the snow gets really heavy. You should get there in just over an hour. I’ll drop you off right at Yamagata Station. Alright, travel safe. Alright, thank you, thanks. Bye! His car is super new. We’re at Yamagata Station! We’re here, we’re here! It’s snowing. Japanese: The station is this way.
Chinese: The station is right here. Japanese: Yes, thank you.
Chinese: Sure, thanks. Let’s head to the station first—I need to use the restroom. If you’re doing things differently than us, and not renting a car, but instead taking the bus up the mountain, that’s also at the east exit of Yamagata Station. If you’re buying tickets in person, go to this storefront. If you’re just visiting and not skiing, there’s a combo ticket for the bus and sightseeing cable car. The combo ticket just saves you from buying three separate tickets—it’s more convenient, but there’s no discount. And when you get to the cable car station, you’ll still need to exchange for a physical ticket. And you can’t buy priority tickets at the venue. Buses don’t have specific departure times or reserved seats. So you’ll need to line up early outside at the bus stop. If it gets crowded, they might add extra buses. Pick up anything you might need. There’s no need to rush your meal. We can drive somewhere else to eat later if you want. Alright, Do your own thing. Yeah, just meet back here at this entrance at 5:30. Now we’re heading to the Toyota rental station. Let’s head that way. Over there—yep, I see it now. Hey, if you have a driver’s license, come over so we can collect them. I’ll ask him first if one car is enough. How many should I put down for? Yeah. Then we’ll sort out the rest. Hey. JP: I have a reservation
CN: I have a booking EN: We have three cars reserved
CN: We booked three cars EN: Confirmed! Starts today, return by 11:30 AM on the 18th.
CN: Confirmed: from today until the 18th at 11:30 AM return EN: Three cars, all 4WD.
CN: Three cars all have four-wheel drive EN: They all have snow tires, right?
CN: They all come with snow tires, correct? EN: Yep, that’s right. EN: Full coverage insurance. English: Yes
Middle: Right EN: ETC card included. Jpn: All regular?
Chn: Are we using regular gas for all? English: Yes
Middle: Right Jpn/Eng: Fill it up or pay here
Chn: Fill it up, or pay when you check out. Eng: Oh~ you can pay here
Chn: Oh~ you can pay right here. Eng: What’s the maximum number of drivers per car?
Chn: What’s the maximum number of drivers you can register for one car? Eng: Seven people, seven people, seven people
Chn: This one seven, this one seven, this one also seven. Eng: Oh~ that’s great, that’s great
Chn: Oh, that’s really good. They registered seven drivers for each of the three cars. So we can drive any car we want. They’re all available to us. That gives us a lot more flexibility. They didn’t mind going the extra mile for us. I had no idea you could do it this way. You can’t do this in Korea—there’s a max of three people per car. Alright, that’s not important. It is important though. Because if something goes wrong with the insurance, you won’t be able to sort it out. If you’re not the registered driver of the car (especially since we’re worried about accidents in the snow), Hey, that’s actually really nice. That’s awesome. Yeah, totally. Whoa. If the weather’s good tomorrow during the day, that’s amazing. Mhm. We just need fresh snow at night and clear weather during the day. Exactly. This one and these two are all ours. When we rented this one, We thought it could fit at least three or four. But it turned out that wasn’t possible at all. So one person had to sit on the floor. Ha, as if! And I still have my snowboard. Three cars: two small ones and one big one. So how many bags can we cram into this one? 1, 2, 3, 4 5 6 (in the back) 7 Two snowboard bags 8 (on the seat) And it only seats three people. Haha. You said this car has digital side mirrors, right? Yeah. So it’s fine if they’re blocked. Add one more suitcase. Nine. The other car. Hmm? Just put one in. That other one. It’s empty. Yeah, let that couple put theirs in. Each one seats five people. And just a little luggage goes in. These two vehicles are really not suitable for carrying luggage. Wouldn’t recommend. There’s a lot of snow piled up on both sides. If you hit the brakes hard now, it’ll probably skid a bit (just kidding). Yeah. Maybe try stepping on it (just kidding again). It already slid when we turned earlier. Oh. Turn right. This one, huh. You said you have to stop at this triangle sign. Yeah, you definitely have to stop here. Oh. Here, the ground markings are covered, otherwise they’d normally be visible. You have to come to a full stop before moving again, right? Yeah, you definitely have to stop. Just like in Canada. What are they up to? They’re about to throw snow. Can you just stop anywhere? Yep. We’ll probably get hit with snow as soon as we get out of the car. Our taxi turned right and ended up driving in a big loop. We just took the wrong way too. We also went around in a circle. So how did you guys get here so fast? Because we’re already up on Mount Zao. There aren’t many runs open for night skiing at this resort. A friend went to the nighttime ice tree event last month and didn’t think it was very good. Plus, we had already seen some incredible snow monsters during the day on our second day. So we decided not to go up at night to see them. And there aren’t many restaurant choices up on the mountain. During peak season, it’s easy for places to get fully booked if you don’t reserve ahead. We actually got turned away from a restaurant on our first night. We didn’t want to eat the hotel meals every single day either. Having a car let us drive down to Yamagata City for meals and shopping. This setup also made our schedule a lot more flexible. After skiing, we could relax, freshen up, and then head down the mountain for a nice meal. Even on our second-to-last day, most of us skipped skiing and went sightseeing instead. We did a day trip by car, visiting both Fox Village and Ginzan Onsen. That day, I was focused on skiing at Zao. So here, I’ll just give everyone a quick overview. My friends came back and told me about their latest experience at Ginzan Onsen in 2025. They went to the closer Fox Village first. Then they drove out to Ginzan Onsen, which is farther away. The whole drive was actually easier than going up to Zao. Next up, You have to park at the lot next to the Ginzan Tourism Center and the Taisho Roman Museum. Then take a shuttle to get into Ginzan Onsen. Now, you need to buy your entrance ticket online ahead of time. They said this ticket is mainly used to manage the number of visitors entering Ginzan. The ticket already includes the shuttle bus service. Your ticket is only checked when you board the shuttle bus. Once you arrive, you enter Ginzan Onsen. There’s no strict limit on how long you can stay. My friends actually stayed until after dark that day. They took lots of great photos. They caught the last shuttle bus back down. On the last day, I’ll show you what it’s like driving down the mountain during the day. Driving this stretch during the day is actually easier than at night. We returned the car at the rental station. Let me give you a quick recap. We rented a car and drove to several different spots. What was the total cost for each of the three cars? Alright, time to return the car. Did both cars go on the highway? Alpha and that one… yeah, they did. Jpn: アルファと1983
Chn: Alpha and 1983 (one of the small car’s plates) Jpn: そうそうそう
Chn: Yep, that’s right. Wow, driving that stretch to Ginzan cost an extra 3,000 yen in fuel for the small car. Jpn: アルファ
Chn: Alpha (expense details) Day: Yes
Medium: Good A little over 9,000 yen (Alpha’s fuel and tolls combined). An extra 1,700 yen (misspoke earlier). Eng: thank you!! Finished
Chn: Thanks, that’s all done. Ok, thank you! The key to getting around this time was being flexible with our plans. We combined chartered vehicles with self-driving. This allowed our group of thirteen to save a lot of time on transfers. It also made our whole trip go much more smoothly. We were able to accommodate everyone’s needs as much as possible. Besides transportation, On Mount Zao, where there are many traditional Japanese hot spring inns, What kind of place lets you enjoy the onsen right inside the hotel? And also has a comfortable private bathroom? Is it within walking distance to see the snow monsters and go skiing? Can you also easily drive to go sightseeing or head up and down the mountain for meals and shopping? I’m going to break down Zao’s lodging options into three main areas, based on my own experience. I’ll explain the pros and cons of each area, and who they’re best suited for. Then I’ll share our firsthand experiences and prices from the three places we actually stayed. The first area is around Yamagata Station. This area offers the most affordable accommodations and the best convenience. It’s about NT$1,300 to NT$2,000 per person per night. But the downside is you have to figure out how to get up and down the mountain to Zao every day. We didn’t actually stay in this area. But we did pick out a place at the time. It’s located just above Yamagata Station. We saved the one that’s closest to the bus stop. This place is all about its unbeatable location. Easy to transfer between trains or buses The prices are pretty reasonable and affordable It’s called Yamagata Metropolitan Hotel I highly recommend it The second area is the Onsen Street and Kaminodai neighborhood This area is mostly traditional Japanese ryokan (hot spring inns) It has a strong hot spring vibe But most rooms don’t have private bathrooms There are a lot of steep hills and narrow roads around here Getting around by walking or driving is relatively inconvenient Even though this area has a lot of drawbacks for us But if you’re taking public transportation up to Zao Once again, a total beginner with absolutely no skiing experience. Wants to stay right next to the ski resort. Also wants to save on lodging costs. In that case, I’d still recommend staying in this area first. Because this area has more gentle and straight beginner slopes. It’s better suited for complete beginners to take lessons and practice here. I still recommend staying near the gondola station instead of the bus stop. Even though the bus stop seems pretty close, you’ll have to hike up the mountain every day to catch the gondola, which is honestly exhausting. Unless your hotel offers a shuttle service. A lot of people have recommended places to stay in this area. I’ll skip further introductions here. The third area is around the Central and Sanroku gondola stations. It’s also really close to the ski slopes. And it is very close to the Shuhing Cable Car (Zao Sanroku Station). I think it’s the most convenient spot for both skiing and seeing the ice trees. We picked this area because we were driving ourselves. We needed wide, easy-to-navigate roads. We wanted places to stay with plenty of parking that doesn’t fill up quickly. We also preferred accommodations with private bathrooms. We hoped to be within walking distance of the ski slopes and the ice trees. Because of all these reasons, we chose all three of our hotels in this area. Just keep in mind that prices here tend to be a bit higher. Here’s a comparison table of these three areas for you all. Now, let me show you where we stayed. We mainly stayed in three different locations. The first one is this hotel. It’s called Shiro Hotel. Four of us friends stayed here together. It has the best location out of the three. It’s situated between the two main ropeway stations. It’s a medium-sized hot spring inn. But it’s smaller than the main place we featured. My friend booked a four-person room for two nights. Breakfast and dinner were included. It’s right on the main street in Zao. The parking lot is located diagonally across the road. Getting around is really easy too. Next, Just walk a short distance over. This green building is called Puutaro. Two of my friends stayed here. From here, you just need to cross the street to see the snow monsters. You’ll get there in no time. It’s super close. This place is more like a Western-style apartment guesthouse. Plus, since it’s a double room, the room is a bit on the smaller side. The meals they serve are also more Western-style. There isn’t a hot spring bath inside the building. Looks like there are only a few parking spots right at the entrance. So parking is pretty limited. Next, The other 11 people are staying at the same place as me. This street right across from the base station, If you head in here, you’ll find where we’re staying. On the left is the famous Shiki hotel. It’s honestly really expensive—super pricey. Our main accommodation this time is the building right next to it. It’s covered by snow. Even though it’s a bit of a walk to the Zao Ropeway (the base station for the snow monsters), The main reason we picked this hotel was, We checked the prices every day, Then one day we happened to see a much cheaper rate, so we booked it right away. For this level of quality, A space this spacious In this area Usually, per person per night You usually can’t book it for less than NT$5,000 per person per night The staff here are incredibly friendly and helpful And there aren’t really any communication issues We emailed ahead of time to add more people to our reservation One of our friends even had their reservation canceled last minute that day We asked at the front desk if we could add another room on the spot The front desk staff patiently explained everything and helped us work it out Our hotel has two hot spring baths One is indoors and the other is outdoors This is the outdoor one It has a really nice vibe It’s all snowy around here. There’s a little cabin over there. It’s called Daiji no Yu. It’s an outdoor hot spring. It’s exclusively for guests staying here. We can’t film the bath area since it’s not appropriate. The lodging is right across from the hot spring. If you drive here, you can park right here. There are actually plenty of parking spots for guests. We never had trouble finding a place to park. The main entrance is on the left side. You check in through that entrance. Can we add more guests? Yes, that’s possible. Hey, how much extra does it cost? Is it the same rate? That’s the standard price per person. They’ll add three more people like that. That should be correct. Your reservation is for 4 nights, 8 people (three rooms). But with 3 more people, that’s 11 in total. Meals—dinner and breakfast—aren’t included. Yes, that’s correct. Ask if there are still rooms available. Do you still have any rooms available? There are rooms available. But you’ll need to switch rooms every day. Aha~ They do have rooms. I didn’t see any available online. I thought so too (turns out, no). I just asked him. How much does it cost? It’s the same price. Really? Yeah. Is it the same price for each person? Day: Yes
Medium: Yes Then let’s just add another room. Sounds good! Okay, we’ll take it. And those of us who are skiing need to head out. There’s a small door in the back. That’s the drying room. Do you see this walkway here? Haha, I’m just so used to calling it a walkway. It connects right here. We’re staying in this building. The indoor hot spring is accessed from here. You just walk over like this. You can soak here—no need to go outside for the indoor baths. They’re open 24/7. I’m going to take off my gear now. I just realized that everyone staying here is skiing. Only our group of friends is snowboarding. There are really a lot of skiers at Zao. Honestly, it’s just better for skiing—there are so many flat areas. This is the lobby of our hotel. Here’s the dining area. We’re staying on the second floor, and there’s an elevator. The building only has three floors. There aren’t many rooms here. Looks like there are just 22 rooms. This is our room. We’ll take another photo of the view outside the window tomorrow during the day. I bet it’ll look beautiful in the daylight. Yep. This hotel has a free shuttle service. Just let the front desk know where you want to go, and they’ll drive you there. Or you can call them from the ski resort. It’s really convenient. Here’s a quick summary of these three places in this area. Transportation here is really flexible. It’s easy to go skiing or see the snow monsters during the day. You can head back to your room for a break whenever you need. At night, it’s easy to drive down to Yamagata city for dinner or shopping. And when you come back, you don’t have to worry about parking. Most of us didn’t go for the hotel meal plan this time. So what did we end up eating? What extra food options do you get when you drive out to eat? Today’s our last day in Zao. I’m the only one left here skiing. Everyone else went sightseeing at Ginzan Onsen and the Fox Village. Hey. Hey, can you hear me? Can you hear me? Are you guys heading back soon? We won’t be back until Ginzan wraps up at 7 PM. We’re probably not having dinner, right? If you’re okay with eating after 8 PM, then maybe we could meet up at the base of Mount Zao (in Yamagata City). I’m good with that. I’ll head back and shower first. It just feels better after a shower. Sure, sounds good. Just finished shoveling the snow—I’m wiped out. This is my first time. I’ve never seen snow this heavy—the ground is buried. Driving alone on Japan’s mountain roads. It’s kind of scary. Book a table for 9 PM at the restaurant I’m definitely going to be late Why is this car so weak? The engine keeps roaring (it’s really loud) I was only driving around 30 to 40 km/h on the road It’s actually not that hard to drive It doesn’t slip at all If the snow gets this heavy But the visibility is pretty bad Turns out I just shifted into manual No wonder the engine was so loud Finally made it down the mountain without any trouble JP: The destination is on the right
CN: The destination is on your right Next up, since I’m not really a food vlogger (I’m not very good at filming food) For the food section, I’ll just show you with text and visuals. I won’t go into more detail. (Just some banter… you can ignore this.) The marbling is truly beautiful. Meat tastes even better when held by a beautiful woman. Business is booming. Should we do three slices at a time? Or all six slices at once? Let’s do six slices. Six slices. Bring on the six slices. I’ll arrange them nicely. They’re all ready to eat—grab them all, hurry up! Night market diced beef chef. Is it open? He’s really fierce. He’s super mean. Is he only acting like this because he’s at the station? It’s been a long time since I’ve had this in Japan. You mean arrogant? Which kind do you mean? Just that kind of attitude. We’re finally at the last part. Let’s quickly talk about the restaurants on Mount Zao. I actually didn’t eat at any restaurants on Mount Zao this time. Because I was skiing. I mostly just grabbed food and drinks from convenience stores. I kept it simple and just went back to skiing. So I’m going to show you around here. Here are a few shops I captured on video for you to check out. Outside the ski resort. There’s a shop called Zao Specialty Shop Noto-ya that’s really close to where we stayed. You can pick up some souvenirs and gifts there. For example, I bought a Zao sticker and put it on my snowboard. Up on Mount Zao, there’s the only convenience store—Lawson. I got all my food from there. And at the base inside the ski resort. At the bottom of Gondola No. 3. There’s a restaurant called 101. There’s also a restaurant at the base of Yokokura Ropeway No. 23. It’s a spot in the ski area that you can only get to by taking the gondola or skiing. There’s a restaurant at the top of the mountain, which I mentioned earlier. Next, head to the base and take the No. 2 gondola. There’s also a restaurant that specializes in tomato-based dishes. And at the Toridō Station area, which is where you get off the No. 3 gondola at the summit. I’ve heard the food at this café is pretty good. The last one is located near the base of the No. 12 gondola. Sangorō Hut. I’m sure most people are familiar with it. This first video about Zao is quite lengthy. I spent a lot of time gathering and organizing the information. My goal is to provide you with the most comprehensive information possible. I’ve also added chapters to the timeline so you can easily find what you need. All the websites, tools, and locations I’ll include all of them in the description below. Feel free to check them out if you need anything. If you feel like supporting, Click ‘Super Thanks’ and treat me to a coffee! If you spot any mistakes or unclear info in the video, please let me know in the comments. I’ll do my best to reply to everyone. Make sure to plan your accommodations, transportation, and meals ahead of time. We got to see the snow monsters too. So what about the other key part—skiing? In my next video, I’ll dive into the most essential parts of this ski trip. Skiing at Zao: My experience. I’ll show you the fastest way to get up to the snow monster area at the top. We’ll explore the ski resort and talk about taking lessons with an instructor. Plus, I’ll share tips on renting ski gear. Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and hit the notification bell. That way, you won’t miss any of my upcoming videos. See you next time—bye!

絕對沒看過的【藏王樹冰】萬里無雲+積雪三米+海景=超震撼雪怪景｜纜車排隊or快通必坑指南｜超彈性交通組合讓你解放餐廳選擇自由｜獨立衛浴住宿大推滑雪觀光泡湯都滿足｜不跟團也能去日本東北山形銀山溫泉狐狸村

包含✅排隊購票✅登頂看樹冰✅交通安排✅銀山溫泉✅住宿推薦✅美食推薦，這次日本東北山形藏王五天四夜自由行內容乾貨細節滿滿，因此片長較長，可依需求點相應的時間軸章節觀看！

0:00 前情提要
1:09 正片開始
1:26 上山頂看樹冰篇
📍蔵王山麓駅
🔗藏王樹冰官方頁面 https://zaoropeway.co.jp/winter/juhyo.php
🛠️查山峰能見度網站 https://s.n-kishou.co.jp/w/charge/tozan/view/view_top
6:17 買票換票整理
🔗藏王樹冰官方線上購票 https://zaoropeway.co.jp/winter/ticket_cn.php
🔗完美行藏王雪票 https://tw.wamazing.com/snow/resorts/zao-onsen/items?type_lift=true#anchor-snow-items
12:50 搭上第一段 購票換票總整理
📍樹氷高原駅
16:53 搭上第二段 超美纜車視角樹冰景
17:28 登頂 山頂建議與美景
📍地蔵山頂駅
📍レストラン山頂
19:45 下山/滑雪與樹冰景
20:39 交通安排篇 總整理
23:42 包車自駕安排
📍みちのく観光案内
📍陣中 牛タン 仙台空港店
27:04 租車安排
📍山交バス山形駅前案内所
📍トヨタレンタカー山形駅前店
30:39 狐狸村銀山溫泉
📍宮城蔵王キツネ村
📍大正ろまん館
32:32 住宿安排篇
📍山形大都會飯店 https://agoda.tpx.lt/SMpRPi0W
📍喜らく https://agoda.tpx.lt/PCEMEvEZ
📍ペンションぷうたろう https://agoda.tpx.lt/Wnz7UR8a
📍季之里藏王岩清水料理之宿 https://agoda.tpx.lt/Z1gCc7lx
38:54 餐飲購物篇
📍博多屋台 まこっちゃん
📍七輪焼肉ももたろう
📍壽司 涮涮鍋 柚庵 山形
📍Super Sports Xebio
📍大衆焼肉ホルモン けむすけ
42:01 總結 雪場教練租借預告

【行前準備】一次搞懂19種滑雪裝備超全攻略: https://youtu.be/144_-RctwH4
【日本其他滑雪場介紹】輕井澤: https://youtu.be/vMWhSBRttyg
【日本其他滑雪場介紹】手稻: https://youtu.be/pFw7nw1HGsA
【日本其他滑雪場介紹】北兵庫: https://youtu.be/35zwUIzDMY4
【日本其他滑雪場介紹】滋賀奧伊吹: https://youtu.be/QB0FIiquvWg
【日本其他滑雪場介紹】二世古: https://youtu.be/g4vJqEEbqBQ

透過以上連結可由Agoda預定影片中住宿
該為聯盟行銷連結，而我也會收到一部推廣回饋(主要用在頻道內容製作、拍攝等）