Zao Sarukura Ski Area
Official name 蔵王猿倉スキー場
Yamagata · 700–880 m · 7 runs · 2 lifts
- 2025-26 season: Dec 19 – Mar 8
- Summit: Today clear 1–2°C / Tomorrow clear 1–10°C
- Snow depth 0 cm | New snow, next 12h 0 cm · 24h 0 cm · 48h 0 cm · 7 days 1 cm · 14 days 2 cm
- Snow report (official) →
Zao Sarukura Ski Area trail map
Zao Sarukura is a family ski area on the Zao Echo Line above Kaminoyama, Yamagata, built on the site of the former Zao sulphur mine. It is known as a skiers-only hill where snowboarding is banned entirely. Two double chairs serve the central slope and the Furikozawa run, with gates, moguls and a fresh-snow practice course for kids. Well-ploughed roads make it quick to reach from town, the free car parks sit right by the slopes, and there is night skiing on some days. A free shuttle bus runs from Kaminoyama-Onsen Station on the Yamagata Shinkansen.
Zao Sarukura Ski Area weather at the top (880 m, hourly, 14 days)
Sunrise today 06:06, sunset 16:39
| Tue, 11/3 | Wed, 11/4 | Thu, 11/5 | Fri, 11/6 | Sat, 11/7 | Sun, 11/8 | Mon, 11/9 | Tue, 11/10 | Wed, 11/11 | Thu, 11/12 | Fri, 11/13 | Sat, 11/14 | Sun, 11/15 | Mon, 11/16 | Tue, 11/17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Japan time | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 3 | 9 | 15 | |
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| Temperature | °C | 7° | 3° | 2° | 2° | 1° | 1° | 1° | 1° | 3° | 6° | 8° | 10° | 9° | 4° | 4° | 5° | 6° | 7° | 7° | 8° | 10° | 8° | 8° | 8° | 7° | 8° | 10° | 12° | 11° | 7° | 5° | 3° | 2° | 1° | 1° | 1° | 1° | -1° | 0° | 0° | 0° | 0° | 1° | 3° | 3° | 0° | 0° | 0° | 0° | -1° | 2° | 3° | -1° | -3° | 3° | 4° | 1° | 1° | 1° | 4° | -1° | -1° | 3° | 4° | 1° | 2° | 2° | 2° | -1° | -2° | 2° | 6° | 0° | 1° | 8° | 10° | 5° | 5° | 8° | 6° | -1° | -2° | 1° | 4° |
| Precipitation | mm | 1.5 | 10 | 8 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 2.5 | 7 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 1.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New snow | cm | 0.1 | 0.3 | <.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 | <.1 | <.1 | <.1 | <.1 | <.1 | <.1 | <.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Snow depth | cm | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | <1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | <1 | <1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | <1 | <1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wind | m/s | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Wind gusts | m/s | 13 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 8 | 6 |
| Wind dir. | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | ↓ | |
Zao Sarukura Ski Area lift tickets and prices
2025-26 prices
- 1-day ticket
- Adult ¥4,500 · Child ¥3,000 · Senior ¥3,500
- Half day
- ¥3,000 (morning) / ¥3,500 (afternoon)
- Night
- ¥4,000
- Season pass
- ¥35,000
Discounts
- Weekday value ticket (weekdays 14:00-16:00) ¥1,500
- Season 10-day ticket adult ¥40,000 / child ¥30,000
- 2-day ticket adult ¥8,000
Show all (7)
- Family pack ticket from ¥7,500
- Free membership pass (open to anyone) adult ¥65,000
- Seniors are 60+
- Season pass 2026-27 child ¥25,000 / senior ¥30,000
Packages
- Family Pack ticket, a discounted family lift bundle, from ¥7,500
Opening hours
- Lifts
- 8:30–17:00
- Night skiing
- 17:00–21:00 · Scheduled days only
Getting to Zao Sarukura Ski Area and parking
- Car
- Yamagata-Zao IC, Yamagata Expressway (via Route 13 and the Echo Line)
- Parking
- 350 spaces · Two free car parks (150 and 200 spaces)
Train
- Shinkansen Tokyo Station → Kaminoyama-Onsen Station Yamagata Shinkansen · About 2 h 40 min (including the shuttle to ZAO Sarukura) · Shuttle: 2025-26 season (12 Dec 2025 to 29 Mar 2026) → Free shuttle bus "White Echo" from the Kaminoyama Onsen tourist information stop (station front) to Zao Sarukura (Sarukura Rest House), about 19 min; 2 round trips a day, no reservations, may be full
Official access page → Timetable → Directions (Google Maps) →
Zao Sarukura Ski Area runs and lifts
Lifts
Runs
Show all
Rental, lessons and facilities
- Rental
- Ski school (Japanese)
- Restaurants