Photo: 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Zaō Onsen

Yamagata · 蔵王温泉

Zaō Onsen is a hot spring town in Yamagata, Japan. Officially the water is classed as chloride spring, sulfate spring, iron spring, acidic spring and sulfur spring.

Getting there

From Tokyoabout 3½ h

CarNot needed

JR PassCovers the train

Train to Yamagata Station (JR)
Local bus

Fly into Haneda or Narita. Times are rough estimates worked out from station locations, not a timetable — check the exact route on Google Maps.

Chloride springSulfate springIron springAcidic springSulfur spring

The water here

Chloride spring 塩化物泉

Salty water. The salt leaves a thin film on the skin, so you stay warm well after leaving the bath.

Sulfate spring 硫酸塩泉

Clear water with a faintly bitter taste. Known for holding heat.

Iron spring 含鉄泉

Turns reddish brown as the iron meets air. The water is clear at the source.

Acidic spring 酸性泉

Strongly acidic, sometimes below pH 2. It stings on cuts and is not for long soaks.

Sulfur spring 硫黄泉

The classic rotten-egg smell and milky white water. It can tarnish silver jewellery, so take it off.

More photographs

From Wikimedia Commons. Tap a photo for the photographer and licence.

Things to see nearby

Yamagata CastleCastle · 11.4 km

Yamagata Zao Onsen Ski ResortSki area · 0.6 km

Mount ZaōMountain · 5 km

Sankai FallsWaterfall · 12 km

OkamaLake · 5.7 km

Yamagata Museum of ArtArt museum · 11.2 km

Places from Wikidata, photographs from Wikimedia Commons. Distances are in a straight line from the town.

With tattoos

Many public baths still turn away visible tattoos, and the rule is set by each bath, not by the town. The reliable way round it is to bathe privately: a room with its own open-air bath, or an inn with a private bath you can book for yourselves.

Rooms with an open-air bath — Yamagata