All Reviews of Juhyo (Rime) in Zao (Yamagata Prefecture)

The moment I reached the summit of Mount Zao, it felt as if I had fallen straight into a gigantic white kingdom of snow and ice several degrees below freezing. Everywhere I looked was a fantastical world completely covered in thick snow and frost. The cold air felt icy as I breathed it into my lungs, but the incredibly spectacular sight before me was exciting enough to make me completely forget the cold.
I struck a cool pose for a photo beside the sign, with a brilliant blue sky and wildly drifting white clouds behind me. In the distance, the rolling mountain ranges were all dressed in thick white coats of snow, making the whole scene look unbelievably cool. The most famous sights here are Zao's juhyo, the strangely shaped snow monsters. The entire mountainside is densely covered with fir trees that have been completely transformed by snow and ice. From a distance, they look like countless gigantic white monsters standing silently in the snow. This extraordinary sight carved by the incredible power of nature is something you have to see with your own eyes to understand just how breathtaking it is.
As I trudged through the deep snow, I also happened upon the Zao Jizo statue, dressed in red, wearing a traditional straw hat, and holding a staff, though it was almost buried in the heavy snow. Seeing only half of its body exposed as it stood in the swirling snow was both sacred and a little amusing. Taking a photo beside it gave me a wonderfully exhilarating feeling of being on an adventure through nature's snowy landscape.
As the sunlight streamed down from high above, the snow and ice-covered trees reflected a dazzling silvery-white glow, making the entire mountaintop sparkle like a dream. Exploring this snowy alpine wilderness and witnessing the spectacular giant juhyo with my own eyes was definitely the most thrilling and unforgettable grand finale to a winter trip!

When I came to Zao, I was hoping to see the juhyo in clear weather, but it turned out to be cloudy and foggy that day, which somewhat limited visibility.

Even so, the trees covered in snow and ice still looked unusual and magnificent. Looking out, the snow-white juhyo stretched across the mountainside, as if I had entered another world of ice and snow. Seeing the massive juhyo shaped by nature with my own eyes was still very awe-inspiring.

This is one of the places I recommend visiting at least once in your lifetime!
At first, I had only seen photos online and wasn't that interested in Zao's juhyo, but after seeing them in person, I was completely amazed by nature's incredible handiwork.
While doing research before the trip, I read online that juhyo form when winter snow and ice freeze onto trees and continue to accumulate, eventually transforming conifer forests high in the mountains into a fantastical landscape resembling snow monsters. Such a spectacular sight requires very unique climatic and natural conditions, so there are actually very few places in the world where juhyo can be seen. Luckily, Japan, which is very close to Taiwan, happens to have one. Before I left, everyone who had been there told me, “Make sure to dress warmly! Otherwise, your fingers and toes might just fall off along the way.”
(In the end, my fingers and toes didn't fall off, but one of my eyeglass lenses did. Fortunately, a kind woman helped me find it. I'm not sure if it was because of the cold, but it was very difficult to get the lens back into the frame. Once we got down the mountain, though, it wasn't a problem. If you wear glasses, I suggest switching to contacts to reduce fogging and the risk of losing your glasses.)
We went in February, right when the juhyo are at their most spectacular (though if you're unlucky enough to encounter a blizzard, visibility will be much lower). Fortunately, the blizzard we encountered wasn't too severe. Although it was unbelievably cold, we could still clearly see the snow monsters before us.
You really need to dress warmly! A waterproof jacket and snow boots are essential, and I also strongly recommend waterproof gloves. I even put foot warmers under my feet.)
Before leaving, we booked the ropeway and the nighttime snowcat tour, “Juhyo Fantasy Corridor.” I highly, highly recommend this tour! The snowcat was a little crowded, and the ride was quite bumpy, but the scenery along the way was so fantastical that it's hard to describe. Every snow monster had a completely different shape. As I looked at them, I thought—the snow monsters are just like us: every person is a one-of-a-kind presence in this world.
The snowcat takes everyone to a designated spot (I'm not sure if it's where the lighting looks best, but I thought it was the most beautiful), and then you get off and have about ten minutes of free time (maybe they don't let you stay out long because they're afraid everyone will freeze to death), allowing you to truly immerse yourself in the dreamlike snowy scenery. If you're not afraid of the cold, you can also try rolling around in the snow. The snow is icy cold and feels soft and fluffy, and because the temperature is so low, it doesn't melt easily. Even after rolling around in it, your clothes are still dry when you get up!
This trip to see the Zao juhyo completely changed my original impression that they “looked just okay in photos.” Some scenery really has to be seen with your own eyes before you can understand just how incredible nature can be.

The Zao rime ice was so beautiful, it felt like stepping into a kingdom of snow and ice! We were super lucky this time and caught a clear blue sky. The whole stretch of frost-covered trees sparkled in the sunlight, and every view looked like a postcard.

I heard that not long after we went back down, the weather turned into a blizzard and the ropeway was affected too. We were so close to not making it up the mountain. Our luck was seriously off the charts!

If you have the chance to visit Japan in winter, definitely add the Zao rime ice to your itinerary. Seeing it in person makes you want to keep pressing the shutter nonstop. Totally worth it.

Finally made it up to Zao to see the snow monsters. Honestly, this was a totally spontaneous trip—didn’t overthink it at all. Just picked a date and went.

There wasn’t a single moment where I doubted the plan. Every day we took it at a steady pace and trekked deep into the snow. I’ve traveled to Japan well over 100 times, but this time I was freezing from day one all the way to the last day. Soaking in an onsen every night though… what more could you ask for?

The weather up on Zao was unbelievably good, and I was beyond excited the whole way—like a country bumpkin seeing everything for the first time. Gotta say, I dressed smart and stayed perfectly comfortable. Would I go up again? Yes!

The second I took my gloves off, I regretted it within 3 seconds. But I still had to get photos—there’s no way you can see scenery like this in Taiwan. You’ve gotta come at least once in your life.

Seeing it in person is seriously mind-blowing—way more impressive than the photos. Just a massive stretch of pure white, like you’re on an ice-and-snow planet.

Zao's 'snow monsters' (Juhyo) are amazing!

I've visited Zao about five times with tour groups, and this was the luckiest trip—clear blue skies and the mountains full of snow monsters welcoming us. It was so unique and fun.
I'd love to visit during the nighttime illumination and see the mysterious snow monsters at night. Highly recommend checking out the night view if you can!

To enjoy these beautiful snow monsters, you need to take two ropeways:
First: The Sanroku Line (Juhyo Kogen Station)
This is a large ropeway that takes about 7 minutes (fits 53 people).

Second: The Summit Line (Jizo Sancho Station)
Then, transfer to a round ropeway (like the ones in Maokong), which takes about 10 minutes (fits 18 people).
There's a ski area at the bottom, and lots of visitors take the ropeway up and ski down from Juhyo Kogen Station!

※ The temperature at the top ranges from 0°C to -10°C. Be sure to bring hand warmers, gloves, scarves, earmuffs, a warm hat, and a thick down jacket.
There's a café next to the summit station—perfect for a warm drink and a quick break.

The weather at the bottom of the mountain is really different from the top. Visibility was poor, and there wasn't enough moisture for the spectacular rime ice scenery to form yet.

It was an unforgettable trip—got to visit the ski resort, see the world-famous juhyo, and even relax in the hot springs.