Zao Ropeway
Two ropeways climb from the base station at 855 m to 1,661 m.
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Zao Ropeway
SaveTwo ropeways climb from the base station at 855 m to 1,661 m.
Cabins on the upper line barely sway, so the 360-degree view arrives while you sit.
MoreWhat kind of place
Two ropeways run one above the other up the mountain.
The lower line climbs from the base at 855 meters (2,805 feet) to Juhyo Kogen Station at 1,331 meters (4,367 feet), 7 minutes in one of two big cabins that hold 53 people.
The upper line carries on to Jizo Sancho Station at 1,661 meters (5,449 feet), 10 minutes in one of 16 smaller cabins that hold 18 apiece.
That upper line is a funitel, hung from a pair of ropes set wider apart than the cabin itself, which is what keeps it steady. It was the second of its kind in Japan, after the Hakone Ropeway.
Sources and evidence (9)
- Zao Ropeway is two ropeways in sequence, linking Zao Sanroku Station at 855 meters (2,805 feet), Juhyo Kogen Station at 1,331 meters (4,367 feet), and Jizo Sancho Station at 1,661 meters (5,449 feet).source
- The upper line uses the double-loop gondola design known as a funitel, the second one adopted in Japan after the Hakone Ropeway.source
- On a funitel the ropes are set farther apart than the cabin is wide, which keeps swaying and side-to-side movement small, so you can take in the view all the way around without leaving your seat.source
- The official site says the funitel on the upper line has no step or gap between the platform and the cabin, so wheelchair users and older people who find steps difficult can ride it; it makes no such statement about the lower line.source
- Pets can ride in summer only, and only small breeds fully enclosed in a hard carrier or similar case, at the child fare; in winter they are turned away in every case.source
- Assistance dogs, meaning guide dogs, hearing dogs, and service dogs, ride free under Japan's assistance dog law.source
- The things to see from Jizo Sancho Station are the Zao Natural Botanical Garden on Mount Sanbo Kojin, the Zao Jizoson, and the trailheads for Mount Jizo, Mount Kumano, and Mount Katta.source
- The things to see from Juhyo Kogen Station are the Iroha Marsh and Kanshodaira.source
- On some summer dates the ropeway runs into the night, under the name Summer Night Cruising.source
With kidsThe part that matters
If you are wondering whether the height will frighten your kids, the upper stretch goes up in gondolas that barely sway. Kids can stay in their seats for the whole 10-minute climb, with the view opening up on every side.
The cabins come in level with the platform, with no step and no gap to cross, so you can walk straight on without lifting anyone over anything.
Both stations up the mountain have terraces that are free once you have a ticket, with a hammock plaza at the lower one and the Zao Jizoson statue a one-minute walk from the top.
The last ride up to the summit leaves the base at 4 p.m., earlier than the ropeway itself stops running, so set off before then or the summit is out for the day.
Sources and evidence (7)
- Juhyo Kogen Station has the Million People Terrace, a hammock plaza, and Utopia Terrace Mini, all free to anyone riding the ropeway.source
- The summit terrace inside Jizo Sancho Station is free to use as well.source
- 60 min for a ticket, 60 more to board. The first gondola is squishy, the second roomier; wind up top bites.source
- Queued 15 min before opening and still waited 90 min; by 9:30 the line ran outside. 4,200 yen return.source
- Only the lower line queues; the upper line and the way down barely wait. Cars ran every 8 min at peak.source
- 1,200 yen and 45 min from Yamagata Station; 50 people queued by 7:30 for the 7:40 bus. No wait at 16:20.source
- The frost trees are lit on just 36 nights from December to February, with the ropeway running 17:00-21:00.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The upper line's gondola, a funitel, hangs from ropes set wider apart than the cabin itself, so it sways very little and the 360-degree view comes to you while you stay seated. You can sit with the baby in your arms for the 10-minute climb of 329 meters.On the upper line there is no step or gap between the platform and the cabin, and the operator states that wheelchair users and older people who mind steps can ride it (no such note for the lower line). Anything you cannot hold on your lap counts as a carry-on at 300 yen per section, and the only item stated to ride free is one pair of skis or one snowboard, so ask at the ticket window how a stroller is handled. Fares are split into adult (junior high and up), child (elementary school) and toddler (preschool), and the table lists amounts only for adult and child. Service is suspended in bad weather.
- Ages 2-3You change ropeways midway: seven minutes on the lower line, ten on the upper. The mid-station, Juhyo Kogen, has Hyakumannin Terrace, Hammock Square and Utopia Terrace Mini, all free for ropeway riders, so you can get off, rest in a hammock, and carry on afterwards.A round trip only as far as Juhyo Kogen is 2,200 yen for adults and 1,100 yen for children, so turning back before the summit is a real option. If you do go up to Jizo Sancho, the last upward ride leaves Zao Sanroku at 16:00, which is separate from closing time (17:00 lower line, 16:45 upper line). Each upper-line cabin holds up to 18 people.
- Ages 4-6One minute along the approach path from Jizo Sancho Station stands the Zao Jizo statue, where the family can pay their respects. The summit terrace inside the station is free for ropeway riders too. On the Juhyo Kogen side there are Iroha Marsh and Kanshodaira, and the summer chairlift costs 400 yen round trip for children, 200 yen one way.Jizo Sancho Station is also the trailhead for Mt. Jizo, Mt. Kumano and Mt. Katta, so decide before you board how far you intend to walk. The summer chairlift is charged separately. Service is suspended in bad weather, and extra runs are added when it is busy. Alpine flower updates are posted on Facebook and Instagram rather than the official website.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe summit terrace inside Jizo Sancho Station is free for ropeway riders, but reaching the Zao Jizo statue means a one-minute walk along the approach path from the station. Service may be suspended depending on the weather.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed2 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：not checked
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：not checked
- ChangingDiaper changing table：not checked
- Family WCFamily restroom：not checked
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
* Other not checked (8)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Indoor / outdoor, Child switch (rider swap), Official family-friendly certification, Crowding (guide), Quietness (guide), Lost-child support
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
First-hand
60 min for a ticket, 60 more to board. The first gondola is squishy, the second roomier; wind up top bites.
Photographing the Snow Monsters of Zao, Tohoku
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Queued 15 min before opening and still waited 90 min; by 9:30 the line ran outside. 4,200 yen return.
Snow monsters everywhere: Zao when the frost trees are at their best
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Only the lower line queues; the upper line and the way down barely wait. Cars ran every 8 min at peak.
Zao Ropeway crowds and waiting times, 2025 edition
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
1,200 yen and 45 min from Yamagata Station; 50 people queued by 7:30 for the 7:40 bus. No wait at 16:20.
Getting to the Zao Juhyo Festival by bus, and how busy the ropeway gets
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
The frost trees are lit on just 36 nights from December to February, with the ropeway running 17:00-21:00.
Winter in Zao 2026: skiing, snow play and seeing the frost-covered trees
Zao Ropeway · Links & reads ▾
Where to go next
Where it is
229-3 Zao-onsen, Yamagata-shi, Yamagata 990-2301source
Before you go
- Groups of 20 or more have to reserve, and a booking may not be accepted depending on how full the schedule already is.source
Basics
- 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 elementary 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 strollers are not mentioned either way. Holders of a Japanese disability certificate pay half.source2
- 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.source2
- Time to allow：2 h
- Booking：Tickets are bought at the station; only groups of 20 or more need to book, by phone to the base station, and even then not every date can be taken. Note this is not the Zao Chuo Ropeway, a different company on the same mountain.source2
Basics in detail (21)
- The lower line is a two-cabin reversible aerial tramway running 1,734 meters (about 1.1 miles), climbing 464 meters (1,522 feet), taking 7 minutes, and carrying up to 53 people at a time.source
- The upper line is a double-loop detachable gondola with 16 cabins, running 1,872 meters (about 1.2 miles), climbing 329 meters (1,079 feet), taking 10 minutes, and carrying up to 18 people per cabin.source
- Word of which alpine flowers are in bloom goes out on Facebook and Instagram rather than the official website.source
- The coordinates are 38.16165 N, 140.39517 E, taken as the center of the bounding box of OpenStreetMap way 310732765, tagged as Zao Sanroku Station with aerialway=station.source
- The fare to Jizo Sancho Station is 2,200 yen one way or 4,400 yen round trip for adults, and 1,100 yen or 2,200 yen for children.source
- The fare to Juhyo Kogen Station is 1,200 yen one way or 2,200 yen round trip for adults, and 600 yen or 1,100 yen for children.source
- The adult fare starts at junior high school age, the child fare covers elementary school age, and anyone not yet in school falls in the infant category.source
- The fare table on the winter version of the site matches the summer one, with no winter-only fares listed.source
- The summer mountain lift costs 800 yen round trip or 400 yen one way for adults, and 400 yen or 200 yen for children.source
- Refunding a ticket costs 100 yen per ticket.source
- The group discount applies to parties of 20 or more traveling all four sections: 400 yen off the regular fare and 600 yen off the student fare, while kindergarten children get 400 yen off the child fare and their teachers ride free.source
- Carry-on items cost 300 yen per section and larger baggage 400 yen per section, up to 30 kilograms (66 pounds).source
- Carry-on here means anything you cannot hold on your lap, and the only item stated to ride free is a single pair of skis or one snowboard.source
- Leaving an item in storage costs 400 yen per item per day, rising to 600 yen a day from the sixth day on.source
- Holders of a physical disability certificate pay half fare.source
- The lower line runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the upper line from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., both subject to change.source
- The last upward departure for a round trip to Jizo Sancho Station leaves Zao Sanroku Station at 4 p.m., earlier than the closing time.source
- Extra runs are put on when it gets busy.source
- Service can be suspended depending on the weather.source
- Yamagata Prefecture's parenting support site lists it as open year round, with stoppages for bad weather and maintenance.source
- The address is 229-3 Zao Onsen, Yamagata City, and the phone number is 023-694-9518.
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (4)
- yamagata-bftc.jp: Stroller friendly, Steps & slope caution
- Official: Stroller friendly, Stroller access notes
- kosodate.pref.yamagata.jp: Best-fit ages (guide)
- Official: Stroller access notes
- Official: main site
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.
| 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 stroller counts as hand luggage - 300 yen per section - is not written anywhere. The Yamagata barrier-free tourism center says there are stairs and steps at the boarding areas, and that staff will help if you contact them in advance. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | zaoropeway.co.jpyamagata-bftc.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | yamagata-bftc.jp |
| Child switch (rider swap) | Not checked yet | ||||
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | 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. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | zaoropeway.co.jpzaoropeway.co.jp |
| Official family-friendly certificationExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Yes | Yamagata prefecture's parenting site lists the ropeway as suitable for all ages. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | kosodate.pref.yamagata.jp |
| Crowding (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Quietness (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet |