Best Spots With Great Nature In Yamagata-shi

Ice Monsters! Snow Trees Covered With Ice & SnowZao

These fir trees covered with snow and ice have so strange shapes that they're called 'Ice Monster'! On every around February, you can enjoy snow trees, skiing and walking at the top of the mountains in Zao, Yamagata Pref.◎Access: take bus from Yamagata Station to Zao Onsen Hot Spring Town. Parking lot is available for cars. Take ropeway from Zao Onsen, and you can see the snow trees from the mountain top. By the way, humid coldness is unbearable, you must make doubly sure for winter clothes!

Snow World Seen From A Mountain Temple, Risshaku-jiHoujyu-san Risshaku-ji Temple

A famous haiku by Basho Matsuo 'Quietness, Seeping into the rocks, The voices of cicada' was composed at this Risshaku-ji called a mountain temple in Yamagata Prefecture. There's an observatory named Godaidou beside the mountain temple's tourist spots, Nokyodou and Kaizandou. The scenery from here is amazing!◎There're 1015 steps to the inner temple (Okuno-in), and it's a kind of hard work. Please be careful not to be injured because there're some snow-covered steps in winter. And you NEED gloves!