--- name: "Zao Ropeway" lat: 38.16165 lng: 140.39517 official_url: "https://zaoropeway.co.jp/" fee: "To the top (Jizo Sancho, 1,661m): 2,200 yen one way and 4,400 return for adults, 1,100 and 2,200 for children. To the middle station (Juhyo Kogen, 1,331m): 1,200 and 2,200 for adults, 600 and 1,100 for children. Adult means junior-high age and up, child means primary school; pre-school children are named in the fare rules but have no fare listed. Hand luggage that will not sit on your lap costs 300 yen per section - skis and snowboards are the only thing named as free, and pushchairs are not mentioned either way. Holders of a Japanese disability certificate pay half." last_verified: "2026-08-15" url: "https://www.piggybackjapan.com/spots/spot_0000172/" publisher: "Piggyback Japan" method: "Each fact below was read from the official page it links to. The date in the Verified column is the day we last opened that page." reuse: "Free to reuse with the check date kept. A link back is appreciated, not required." --- # Zao Ropeway The lower line takes 7 minutes and the upper 10, from 855 m at the base to 1,661 m at Jizo Sancho. The upper cabins are Funitels, hung from ropes set wider apart than the cabin itself. They sway little, so the 360-degree view comes to you while seated. Only Hakone had this type in Japan earlier. A minute's walk from the top station is the Zao Jizo statue; the middle station has the Iroha marsh and the Kansho-daira pines. - Area: yamagata - Type: activity - Average stay: 120 min - Hours: The lower line runs 8:30-17:00 and the upper line 8:45-16:45, but the last car up for a return trip to the summit leaves the base station at 16:00 - so the closing time is not the time you can still go up. Open all year; extra cars run when it is busy, and the ropeway stops altogether in bad weather or for maintenance. - Last verified: 2026-08-15 ## Family facts (value + conditions + source + verified date) | Feature | Value | Conditions | Verified | Source | |---|---|---|---|---| | Stroller friendly | Not checked yet | The upper line uses a Funitel gondola with no step or gap between platform and cabin, which the operator says suits wheelchair users and anyone unsteady on steps. The lower line carries no such statement. Whether a pushchair counts as hand luggage - 300 yen per section - is not written anywhere. The Yamagata barrier-free tourism centre says there are stairs and steps at the boarding areas, and that staff will help if you contact them in advance. | 2026-08-15 (web) | [source](https://zaoropeway.co.jp/summer/guide.php) | | Diaper changing table | Not checked yet | | | | | Nursing space | Not checked yet | | | | | Family restroom | Not checked yet | | | | | Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | | | | | Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | | | | | Elevator | Not checked yet | | | | | Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | | | | | Indoor / outdoor | Not checked yet | | | | | English support | Not checked yet | | | | | Steps & slope caution | Many steps | There are stairs and steps at the boarding areas; staff will assist, but you need to contact them in advance. | 2026-08-15 (web) | [source](https://yamagata-bftc.jp/spot/%E8%94%B5%E7%8E%8B%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC%E3%83%97%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A7%E3%82%A4/) | | Child switch (rider swap) | Not checked yet | | | | | Stroller access notes | Yes | The base station is at 229-3 Zao Onsen in Yamagata city. Pets travel only in summer, small breeds fully inside a hard case, at the child fare; in winter they are refused. Assistance dogs travel free under the Japanese law. Alpine flowering news is posted on Facebook and Instagram rather than the website. | 2026-08-15 (web) | [source](https://zaoropeway.co.jp/summer/guide.php) | | Official family-friendly certification | Not checked yet | | | | | Best-fit ages (guide) | Yes | Yamagata prefecture's parenting site lists the ropeway as suitable for all ages. | 2026-08-15 (web) | [source](https://kosodate.pref.yamagata.jp/odekake/zao-ropeway) | | Crowding (guide) | Not checked yet | | | | | Quietness (guide) | Not checked yet | | | | | Lost-child support | Not checked yet | | | | ## How to cite these facts Free to reuse. Every fact above was read from the official page it links to, and re-checked on 2026-08-15. We keep the check date visible so you can tell how old a fact is — please keep it when you quote us. A link back is appreciated but not required. **Ready to paste (Markdown)** ``` Family facts at Zao Ropeway — checked 2026-08-15 — [Piggyback Japan](https://www.piggybackjapan.com/spots/spot_0000172/) ``` **Ready to paste (HTML)** ``` Family facts at Zao Ropeway — checked 2026-08-15 — Piggyback Japan ``` Found something out of date? Tell us and we will re-check the official page and update the date.