Zao Ropeway
Two ropeways climb from the base station at 855 m to 1,661 m.
piggybackjapan.com
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.
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
- Diaper binDiaper disposal bin：not checked
- Family WCFamily restroom：not checked
- Kids' toiletKids' toilet seat & step stool：not checked
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
Green = we confirmed it. Grey = not checked yet. Grey with a line through = the place does not have it.
Near here
Worth a look before you go
First-hand
Photographing the Snow Monsters of Zao, Tohoku
60 min for a ticket, 60 more to board. The first gondola is squishy, the second roomier; wind up top bites.
thewanderinglens.com2026
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Snow monsters everywhere: Zao when the frost trees are at their best
Queued 15 min before opening and still waited 90 min; by 9:30 the line ran outside. 4,200 yen return.
kiccyomu.net2025
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Zao Ropeway crowds and waiting times, 2025 edition
Only the lower line queues; the upper line and the way down barely wait. Cars ran every 8 min at peak.
kaiuntrip.co.jp2025
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Getting to the Zao Juhyo Festival by bus, and how busy the ropeway gets
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.
tabino-blog.hatenablog.com2025
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Winter in Zao 2026: skiing, snow play and seeing the frost-covered trees
The frost trees are lit on just 36 nights from December to February, with the ropeway running 17:00-21:00.
visityamagata.jp2025
Zao Ropeway · Links & reads ▾
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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 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.■■
- 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.■■
- Time needed：120 min
- 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.■■Official booking site ↗
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 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. | 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 |
Not checked yet (6)
Indoor / outdoor, Child switch (rider swap), Official family-friendly certification, Crowding (guide), Quietness (guide), Lost-child support