Author: JapanTrove Editorial

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Two and a half hours north of Kyoto’s temples and crowds, the fishing town of Ine sits wrapped around a calm, almost perfectly circular bay. What makes it worth the trip is a row of roughly 230 funaya — wooden boathouses built directly over the water, boats parked on the ground floor and living quarters above. Locals have fished from these same structures for generations, and from the water they look like a floating village. It’s often nicknamed the “Venice of Japan,” which oversells the scale but gets the atmosphere right: quiet, working, and unlike anywhere else on the Kyoto side trip circuit.

What Makes Ine’s Funaya Unique

A funaya is a two-story wooden building with its ground floor open directly onto the bay so a fishing boat can be pulled straight in out of the weather. Families have historically lived upstairs, worked downstairs, and used the narrow lane behind the houses as the “front” street, with the bay effectively serving as their front yard. Ine Bay is sheltered and shallow, with almost no tidal range, which is the specific reason this building style survived here for centuries when it didn’t elsewhere on Japan’s coast. Around 230 funaya line about 5 km of shoreline, and many are still in daily use by fishing families rather than preserved purely for tourists — a distinction worth keeping in mind about noise, privacy, and where it’s polite to point a camera.

How to Get to Ine from Kyoto

There’s no direct train to Ine, so budget half a day of travel each way. The standard route from Kyoto Station: take the JR limited express “Hashidate” (about 2 hours, roughly ¥4,500–5,000 with reserved seat) to Amanohashidate Station, then transfer to a Tankai Bus bound for Ine (about 30 minutes, around ¥880). Buses run roughly once an hour, not more, so check the return schedule before you commit to a stop — missing the last bus back means a taxi (about 30–40 minutes, ¥5,000+) or an unplanned overnight stay.

If you’re combining the trip with the sandbar at Amanohashidate, this works well as a two-stop day: sandbar in the morning, bus to Ine in the early afternoon. Driving from Kyoto takes about 2 hours via the Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway and gives you far more flexibility with bus timetables, which is the main argument for renting a car for this particular trip.

Best Way to See the Bay: Boat Tour vs. Walking

Walking the shoreline road is free and lets you see the funaya up close, but the view that actually explains the town is from the water. The Ine Bay round-trip sightseeing boat (Ine-wan Meguri) departs from the pier near the tourist information center roughly every 30–60 minutes between about 9:00 and 16:00, runs a 25-minute loop, and costs around ¥1,000 for adults and ¥500 for children. Buy a bag of rice crackers on board (about ¥100) and the seagulls that trail the boat will eat straight from your hand — it’s a small thing but it’s the moment most visitors remember. On windy days the boat can be suspended, so this isn’t a guaranteed activity if you’re visiting in typhoon season.

For the classic postcard shot of the whole bay, walk or drive up to Funaya no Sato Park, a free viewpoint above the town. It’s a stiff 10–15 minute walk uphill from the bus stop, or a short drive if you’re self-driving.

Best Season and Time of Day

Ine is pleasant most of the year, but a few things affect timing. Late spring (April–May) and autumn (October–November) bring calm seas and comfortable walking weather. Summer is humid and can bring boat cancellations during typhoon season (August–September); winter brings cold winds straight off the Sea of Japan, though the town is far quieter and the bay is often glassy-calm on clear days. Aim to arrive by early-to-mid afternoon — the bus schedule and short winter daylight hours make a rushed evening visit impractical, and the boat tour stops running around 16:00.

Where to Eat and What to Buy

Several funaya have been converted into small cafés and restaurants serving the day’s catch — expect grilled or simmered fish, seafood-topped rice bowls (kaisendon), and set lunches in the ¥1,200–2,500 range at places like Ine Funaya Chaya, a converted boathouse right on the water. For something to bring home, Mukai Shuzo, a local sake brewery a short walk from the bay, is known for being run by an all-female brewing team, unusual in an industry historically dominated by male toji; tasting flights typically run a few hundred yen per pour, with bottles available for purchase on site.

One practical note: Ine has no convenience stores and only a couple of small shops, so if you want snacks, drinks, or specific souvenirs beyond what’s sold at the pier, pick them up beforehand at a supermarket in Kyoto or at Amanohashidate — see this guide to grocery shopping in Japan if you want to know what’s worth grabbing. If you buy sake or other bottles you don’t want to carry for the rest of your trip, it’s worth reading up on shipping souvenirs home from Japan before you leave Ine.

Where to Stay: Sleeping in a Funaya

A dozen or so funaya operate as minshuku (family-run guesthouses), and spending a night in one is the single best way to experience the town after the day-trip buses have cleared out. Expect simple tatami rooms, shared or basic private bathrooms, and dinner built around whatever the family caught that day. Rates typically run ¥13,000–25,000 per person per night including two meals. Rooms are limited and fill up fast for weekends and holiday periods, so book at least a month or two ahead through the Ine tourism association or a Japanese-language booking site — English-language availability is limited, and a hotel or your accommodation elsewhere in Kyoto may be able to help with the reservation call.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating it as a quick photo stop. Between the infrequent buses and the boat tour timing, a rushed 45-minute visit means you’ll likely only see the town from the road, missing the water view that makes the trip worthwhile.
• Not carrying cash. Card acceptance is inconsistent at the boat ticket booth, small cafés, and the sake brewery — bring enough yen for the day.
• Assuming Ine and Amanohashidate are a quick hop apart. The bus ride is real travel time, not a shuttle; build at least an hour each way into your plan and check the return timetable before you head out.
• Ignoring weather for the boat tour. On windy or stormy days it may not run at all — have the shoreline walk and the hillside viewpoint as a backup plan.
• Forgetting these are working homes. Many funaya are lived-in fishing houses, not museum exhibits — keep noise down and be considerate about photographing private entrances.

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Every February, Japanese temples and shrines fill with shouting crowds, flying roasted soybeans, and grown adults in oni (demon) masks getting pelted by children. This is Setsubun, one of the few Japanese festivals where tourists aren’t just welcome to watch — they’re welcome to throw. If you’re in Japan in early February, it’s one of the easiest, cheapest, and most memorable cultural events to work into your itinerary.

What Is Setsubun, and When Is It?

Setsubun (節分) literally means “seasonal division.” In the old lunar calendar, it marked the last day of winter, the day before risshun (the start of spring). The date is calculated astronomically each year, so it isn’t always fixed — it falls on February 3 in most years, but it shifted to February 2 in 2021 and 2025 due to how the solar calendar lines up with the equinox calculations. If your trip is scheduled around this time, check a Japanese calendar (or search “setsubun” plus the year) a few weeks out to confirm the exact date, since temple event schedules are built around it.

The core belief is simple: the turn of the season is when evil spirits (oni) slip through the cracks between worlds. Throwing beans at them, loudly, drives them out and invites good fortune in for the year ahead.

Mamemaki: How the Bean-Throwing Ritual Works

The main event is called mamemaki (豆まき) — literally “bean scattering.” Someone dresses as an oni, usually in a red, blue, or black mask, and everyone else throws roasted soybeans (fukumame, “lucky beans”) at them while shouting “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (“Demons out, luck in!”). Afterward, tradition says you should eat one roasted soybean for each year of your age, plus one extra for good luck in the coming year.

At home, this is a family activity — one parent puts on a mask, the kids pelt them with beans, then everyone eats their count of soybeans. Convenience stores and supermarkets sell small bags of fukumame for around ¥100–¥300 in the weeks before the festival, often bundled with a paper oni mask. If you’re staying in an apartment or guesthouse with a kitchen, picking up a bag at a local supermarket or a discount chain like the one covered in our guide to grocery shopping in Japan is a fun, low-effort way to try the ritual yourself.

At temples and shrines, mamemaki becomes a public spectacle: priests, monks, celebrities, sumo wrestlers, and local “toshi otoko/toshi onna” (people born in that year’s zodiac sign, considered especially lucky) throw handfuls of beans — and sometimes wrapped sweets or coins — off a stage into a crowd that scrambles to catch them. Watching is free at nearly every venue; catching a bean is the whole game.

Ehomaki: The Lucky Direction Sushi Roll

The other Setsubun custom you’ll see everywhere, especially in convenience stores and supermarkets, is ehomaki (恵方巻き) — a thick, uncut sushi roll eaten in complete silence while facing that year’s designated “lucky direction,” which is determined by the zodiac calendar and changes annually. You’re supposed to eat the whole roll without stopping to talk, making a wish as you go.

Convenience stores like 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart start taking pre-orders for ehomaki in mid-January, with basic rolls running ¥500–¥900 and deluxe versions with premium seafood or wagyu going for ¥1,500–¥3,000. Department store basement food halls (depachika) sell even more elaborate versions, and some sushi restaurants offer a Setsubun ehomaki course for ¥3,000–¥6,000 if you want the full sit-down experience rather than a grab-and-go roll.

Best Temples and Shrines to Join In

If you want more than a convenience-store bean bag, head to one of the temples or shrines that hold large public mamemaki ceremonies on Setsubun:

• Sensoji (Asakusa, Tokyo) — Tokyo’s most famous temple holds one of its biggest annual crowds for Setsubun. Uniquely, the chant here drops “oni wa soto” entirely and only shouts “fuku wa uchi,” based on the belief that Kannon’s compassion means no being is cast out. 5 minutes on foot from Asakusa Station (Ginza Line, Asakusa Line, or Tobu Skytree Line).
• Naritasan Shinshoji (Narita) — Famous for celebrity guests and sumo wrestlers throwing beans from a huge stage; one of the largest Setsubun events in the Kanto region. About 10 minutes on foot from Narita Station, making it an easy stop if you have a layover near the airport. Tickets for a numbered raffle bag of beans (with a chance at prizes) typically cost around ¥1,000.
• Zojoji (Tokyo, near Tokyo Tower) — Draws sumo wrestlers and public figures for its bean-throwing stage, with Tokyo Tower as a backdrop.
• Yasaka Shrine (Gion, Kyoto) — Held over February 2–3, with maiko and geiko from Kyoto’s different geisha districts performing dances before the bean throwing. A short walk from Gion-Shijo Station or a bus ride from Kyoto Station.
• Rozan-ji (Kyoto) — Less crowded but arguably more theatrical: three demons in red, blue, and black — representing greed, anger, and foolishness — perform the Oni Odori demon dance while priests chant sutras to drive them out, followed by mamemaki. Near Kyoto Imperial Palace, about 15 minutes on foot from Marutamachi Station.
• Ikegami Honmonji (Tokyo) — A large temple in southern Tokyo that also draws celebrity guests; reachable via Ikegami Station on the Tokyu Ikegami Line.

If you’re building a temple-hopping day in Kyoto — Yasaka Shrine in the morning, Rozan-ji in the afternoon — a rental bike can save a lot of walking between sites; see our guide to city bike rentals in Kyoto and Tokyo for stations and pricing.

Getting There and Practical Tips

Main ceremonies usually run in the early-to-mid afternoon, often between 1:00 and 3:00pm, though smaller mamemaki sessions can happen multiple times through the day at bigger temples. Arrive at least 30–45 minutes early for popular ones like Sensoji or Naritasan — the areas directly in front of the stage fill up fast, and you want to be within throwing range to actually catch anything. Bring a bag or pocket you can open quickly; beans (and sometimes wrapped candy) come down in handfuls and it’s a genuine scramble.

Entry to watch is free everywhere on this list. Some temples sell a separate raffle-ticket bag of beans for around ¥500–¥1,000, which is optional but gives you a souvenir and a shot at a prize drawing. Dress warmly — early February is one of the coldest stretches of the Japanese winter, and you’ll likely be standing outside for a while.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming the date is always February 3. It moves in some years — double-check before you build your schedule around it.
• Showing up right at the ceremony’s stated start time. By then the good viewing spots are already taken; early arrival matters more than punctuality here.
• Trying to keep beans thrown at temple ceremonies as souvenirs. They’re food, meant to be eaten (or left where they fall) — pack the paper oni masks or a bag of unopened fukumame instead if you want something to take home.
• Skipping smaller neighborhood shrines. Sensoji and Naritasan are spectacular but packed elbow-to-elbow; a local shrine’s mamemaki is far more relaxed and often just as fun to watch up close.

Budget, Mid-Range, and Splurge Ways to Celebrate

Budget: Buy a ¥100–¥300 bag of fukumame at a supermarket or convenience store, watch a free neighborhood shrine ceremony, and eat a ¥500–¥900 convenience-store ehomaki facing the year’s lucky direction.

Mid-range: Buy a ¥500–¥1,000 raffle bean bag at a major temple like Naritasan or Zojoji, and pick up a ¥1,500–¥3,000 deluxe ehomaki from a depachika food hall afterward.

Splurge: Book a sit-down ehomaki course (¥3,000–¥6,000) at a sushi restaurant, then catch the Yasaka Shrine geiko performances or Rozan-ji’s Oni Odori dance for a more elaborate, ritual-heavy version of the day.

If you pick up an oni mask, a wrapped bag of fukumame, or a Setsubun-themed tenugui as a keepsake — many temple stalls sell seasonal ones, and our guide to tenugui covers how they’re traditionally used — and you’re near the end of your trip, check our guide to shipping souvenirs home from Japan for the cheapest way to get bulkier finds back without them taking up suitcase space.

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Walk past almost any train station, festival stall, or shopping arcade in Japan and you’ll catch the smell of hot batter and sweet red bean before you see the source: a griddle full of fish-shaped or disc-shaped cakes, flipped by hand and sold piping hot in a paper sleeve. These are taiyaki and imagawayaki, two of Japan’s most beloved cheap sweets, and they make a genuinely satisfying snack between sightseeing stops — no reservation, no menu to decipher, usually under ¥300.

What’s the difference between taiyaki and imagawayaki?

Both are made from a pancake-like batter cooked in a hinged iron mold and filled with sweet paste, but the shapes and origins differ. Taiyaki (鯛焼き) is molded into the shape of tai, a red sea bream considered a lucky fish in Japan — you’ll see the fins, scales, and even a little face pressed into the batter. Imagawayaki (今川焼き) is round and flat, more like a thick, filled pancake, and goes by regional names too: ōbanyaki in parts of Kansai, kaiten-yaki or taikoyaki elsewhere. Despite the different names, the cooking method and typical fillings are nearly identical, so if you see one but not the other on a menu, don’t worry — you’re getting the same basic treat.

A short history

Imagawayaki is generally considered the older format, dating to the Edo period and named after the Imagawabashi bridge in Tokyo near where it was first sold. Taiyaki came later, credited to Naniwaya Sōhonten, a shop that opened in Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, in 1909 and is still running today. The fish shape was reportedly a marketing decision — tai was associated with celebration and good fortune, and the distinctive mold helped the snack stand out from plainer round cakes. Both spread nationwide through festival food stalls (yatai), which is still one of the most common places to find them, especially at summer matsuri and New Year shrine visits.

Where to find them

You don’t need to hunt these down — they show up in a few predictable spots:

• Specialty shops: Long-running taiyaki-only shops still exist in Tokyo, and they’re worth a detour. Naniwaya Sōhonten in Azabu-Juban is the historic original. Yanagiya in Sugamo and Kuruma in Ningyocho both use the traditional “ippiki-yaki” method — cooking one fish at a time in an individual iron mold rather than a multi-fish plate — which gives a thinner, crispier shell. Expect a short queue at peak times (weekend afternoons) and be ready to eat standing up or on a nearby bench, since most of these shops are takeout-only.
• Department store basements (depachika): Most major department stores have a sweets floor with a taiyaki or imagawayaki counter, useful if you want an air-conditioned, easy-to-find option while shopping.
• Festival stalls and shopping streets: Any shotengai (covered shopping street) or festival will likely have a stall. If you’re already exploring an old-school food alley like the one covered in our guide to Omoide Yokocho, keep an eye out nearby — sweet stalls often cluster around savory ones in these districts.
• Convenience stores and supermarkets: Packaged, ready-to-microwave taiyaki (often frozen) are sold at chains like Lawson and at general supermarkets. If you’re already doing a grocery run, our guide to grocery shopping in Japan covers how to navigate these stores, and the freezer aisle is worth a look for a fun, cheap souvenir snack.

What to order: fillings explained

The classic filling is tsubuan, chunky sweet red bean paste, or koshian, the smoother strained version — both made from azuki beans and less sweet than most Western desserts. Beyond that, common options include:

• Custard (カスタード): A thick vanilla custard, popular with kids and a safe bet if you’re unsure about red bean.
• Chocolate or matcha: Common modern additions, especially at shops aimed at tourists.
• Sweet potato (imo-an) or chestnut: Seasonal, often appearing in autumn.
• Savory versions: Some shops sell taiyaki filled with mentaiko-mayo, cheese, or curry — a nice option if you want something less sweet.

A single taiyaki typically runs ¥150–¥250 for a basic red bean or custard version, up to ¥350–¥450 for premium fillings like whole chestnut or matcha cream at specialty shops. Imagawayaki is usually priced similarly, often sold in sets of two or three for a small discount.

Best time to go, and common mistakes

These snacks are sold year-round, but they’re at their best fresh off the griddle, so aim to buy from a shop that’s actively cooking rather than a pre-made display case — you can usually tell by the smell and the visible batter griddle. Mid-afternoon (2–5pm) tends to be quieter than the post-lunch or early-evening rush near train stations. Winter is peak season psychologically — a hot taiyaki in cold hands is a genuine pleasure — but shops run the griddles all summer too.

A few things visitors commonly get wrong:

• Assuming it’s like a churro or funnel cake. The batter is closer to a thin sponge cake or pancake, not deep-fried, so the texture is softer and less greasy than you might expect.
• Biting from the tail first. Locals often eat from the head, where there’s usually more filling packed in — though honestly there’s no wrong way to eat one.
• Expecting to sit down and eat. Most taiyaki and imagawayaki shops are walk-up counters with no seating. Factor this into planning if you’re juggling luggage or a stroller.
• Overpaying at tourist-zone stalls. Around major tourist sites like Asakusa, prices can run ¥50–¥100 higher than a neighborhood shop. Neither is a rip-off at these snack prices, but it’s worth knowing if you’re comparing.

Budget, mid-range, and splurge options

At the budget end, a convenience-store frozen taiyaki costs around ¥150–¥200 and reheats in a microwave — a fine option if you’re staying somewhere with a kitchenette. Mid-range means a standard shop-fresh taiyaki with red bean or custard, ¥150–¥300, which covers the vast majority of what you’ll encounter. For a splurge, seek out an ippiki-yaki specialist like Yanagiya or Kuruma, where the individually cooked, crisp-shelled version costs a bit more (¥250–¥400) but is a noticeably different, better product than the mass-produced multi-mold version — worth the wait if you have 15–20 minutes to spare.

These snacks travel poorly if you want to bring them home — the batter goes stale within a day or two, and there’s no shelf-stable version worth carrying in luggage — so treat taiyaki and imagawayaki as an eat-now souvenir rather than something to pack. If you’re looking for snacks that do ship or pack well, our onigiri guide and fruit sando guide cover other convenience-store and bakery finds worth trying during the same trip, and both make good companions to a taiyaki stop on a walking day.

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Natto is the dish that divides visitors to Japan more than any other. Ask a room full of travelers about it and you’ll get a chorus of groans about the smell, the stringy texture, and the “gym sock” comparisons that seem to follow it everywhere online. But natto is also a genuine cornerstone of the Japanese breakfast table, cheap, nutritious, and available in every convenience store in the country. If you’re going to encounter it anyway — sitting on a hotel breakfast buffet, tucked into a bento, or offered by a homestay host — you may as well learn how to eat it the right way. Done properly, natto is far less alarming than its reputation suggests, and plenty of visitors end up quietly hooked.

What Exactly Is Natto?

Natto is whole soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis (natto bacteria), a process that breaks down the beans’ proteins and coats them in a sticky, stringy web of amino acids. That stringiness — called neba-neba in Japanese — is the defining trait of natto, and it’s also the biggest hurdle for newcomers. The smell is often described as sharp, cheesy, or ammonia-like, somewhere between strong cheese and fermented tofu. The flavor itself is much milder than the smell suggests: earthy, nutty, slightly sweet, with a savory backbone from the fermentation.

Nutritionally, natto is a powerhouse. A single 40–50g pack delivers around 8g of protein, plenty of fiber, and vitamin K2, which is a big reason it’s associated with health and longevity in Japan. It’s also cheap: a three-pack of small styrofoam containers costs roughly ¥100–¥150 at any supermarket or convenience store.

How to Eat It Properly

The classic way to eat natto is over a bowl of warm white rice for breakfast, but there’s a technique to it that makes a real difference in texture and flavor:

• Stir it first. Open the container, remove the small packets of sauce and mustard usually tucked inside the lid, and stir the beans vigorously with chopsticks for 15–20 seconds before adding anything else. This whips air into the stringy fermentation strands and actually mellows the smell while improving the texture — skipping this step is the single most common reason people find natto unpleasant.
• Add the sauce, not soy sauce straight. Most packs come with a small packet of tare (a soy-based sauce) and sometimes karashi mustard. Add both, then stir again. If there’s no sauce packet, a small splash of soy sauce works fine.
• Spoon it over rice. Pour the stirred natto over a bowl of hot rice and mix lightly. The heat from the rice releases more aroma, so some people prefer to let the rice cool slightly first if the smell bothers them.
• Common additions. A raw egg yolk, chopped green onion, grated daikon, or a few drops of sesame oil are all standard mix-ins that soften the flavor and are worth trying if the plain version doesn’t win you over immediately.

A common mistake first-timers make is eating it straight from the container without stirring, or pairing it with something delicate like plain toast — natto is built to be a rice condiment, and it works far better in that context than on its own.

Where to Buy and Try Natto

You don’t need to seek out anywhere special — that’s part of the point. Every convenience store (Lawson, 7-Eleven, FamilyMart) and every supermarket in Japan stocks multiple brands and grain sizes, typically in the refrigerated section near tofu and eggs. Look for brands like Takano Foods’ “Okame Natto,” Mizkan, or regional co-op brands. Grain size varies: hikiwari (chopped, smaller pieces) has a milder smell and smoother texture, and is often the easiest entry point for beginners, while whole-bean natto has more bite and a stronger aroma. If you’re doing your own grocery shopping during your trip, natto is a great item to pick up alongside other everyday Japanese staples — the Gyomu Super & Local Supermarkets guide covers how to navigate Japanese grocery stores as a visitor, including how to read unfamiliar packaging.

For a sit-down introduction rather than a DIY one, many traditional Japanese-style breakfast sets (wafuku asagohan) at ryokan and business hotels include a small pack of natto alongside grilled fish, miso soup, and rice. This is often the gentlest way to try it, since it comes portioned correctly with rice and sauce already provided.

Regional Notes and Best Time to Try It

Natto is eaten year-round, but it’s most prominently featured at breakfast, so the best time to try it is during your first hotel or ryokan breakfast rather than as a dinner experiment. Ibaraki Prefecture, just northeast of Tokyo, is considered the natto capital of Japan and is where Mito-brand natto originated; if you’re passing through the Tohoku region on a wider itinerary — say, after visiting Ginzan Onsen or the Zao Onsen ice monsters — you’ll find natto is an even more central part of local breakfast culture than in Tokyo. Note that natto is markedly less popular in western Japan (Kansai and further west), where some households and restaurants skip it entirely, so don’t expect it as a default in Osaka or Kyoto the way you might in the east.

Budget, Mid-Range, and Splurge Ways to Try It

• Budget (¥100–¥150): A three-pack from any convenience store or supermarket. This is genuinely how most Japanese people eat it, so there’s no need to spend more to get an “authentic” experience.
• Mid-range (¥600–¥1,200): A traditional breakfast set at a business hotel or diner-style restaurant (like a Yoshinoya or a local teishoku shop) that includes natto, rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and pickles as a full plate.
• Splurge (¥2,500+): A kaiseki-style ryokan breakfast, where natto might be presented in a small lacquered bowl alongside a much more elaborate multi-course spread — the setting elevates a humble ingredient into something quite refined.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not stirring enough. Under-stirred natto is stickier, smellier, and less pleasant. Thirty seconds of stirring is not excessive.
• Eating it cold and plain. Straight from the fridge with nothing added is the least forgiving way to experience it.
• Assuming one bad experience is final. Grain size, brand, and additions vary enough that it’s worth trying hikiwari with egg and green onion even if whole-bean natto plain didn’t work for you.
• Ordering it at a restaurant without rice. Natto is a topping, not a standalone dish — always pair it with rice.

Whether or not natto becomes a favorite, it’s worth trying at least once with the right technique — stirred well, sauced properly, and spooned over warm rice — before writing it off. If you end up liking it, a few vacuum-packed or freeze-dried natto products are sold at supermarkets and are stable enough to bring home as an unusual souvenir; just check customs rules on fermented foods before packing them, and see the guide to shipping souvenirs home if you’d rather mail food items separately from your luggage.

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Every winter, wind and moisture turn a forest of fir trees on Mount Zao into an army of lumpy white giants — Japan calls them juhyo, “ice trees,” but everyone knows them as snow monsters. Zao Onsen, in Yamagata Prefecture, is the best place in the country to see them up close, ride a ropeway straight through the frozen forest, and then thaw out in one of Japan’s oldest hot spring towns. Here’s how to plan the trip.

What Are the Ice Monsters, Exactly?

The “monsters” are Aomori todomatsu (a type of subalpine fir) that get plastered with layer after layer of supercooled fog and wind-driven snow through the winter, freezing into thick, lumpy white shapes that can reach 8-10 meters tall. It’s a rare combination of geography and climate — cold Siberian winds picking up moisture over the Sea of Japan, then slamming into Mount Zao’s slopes — that makes this phenomenon so dramatic here. You’ll find juhyo at a handful of other Tohoku mountains, but Zao’s are the tallest, densest, and easiest to reach.

When to Go: Best Season and Timing

The ice monsters are a strictly winter phenomenon and they don’t appear overnight — plan around this window:

• Late December-early January: Trees are still building up ice; shapes are smaller and patchier.
• Mid-January to late February: Peak season, when the monsters are at their biggest and most photogenic. This is also peak crowds and peak cold (daytime highs often stay below freezing, with wind chill making it feel far colder).
• March: Ice starts melting and shapes lose their definition; by early April they’re gone entirely.

For the classic photos, aim for late January through mid-February. If you can, go on a clear day — the ropeway runs even in poor visibility, but you’ll see nothing but white fog from the gondola windows. Sunny mornings, right after a fresh snowfall, give the best contrast between blue sky and white ice. During part of February, the resort also runs a night illumination event, lighting up the monsters after dark for a completely different, eerie atmosphere — check the current year’s dates before you go, as they shift annually and the ropeway’s evening hours are extended only on those nights.

Getting to Zao Onsen

Zao Onsen sits in the mountains above Yamagata City. The standard route from Tokyo:

• Take the JR Yamagata Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Yamagata Station (around 2 hours 40 minutes).
• From Yamagata Station’s bus terminal, catch a local bus bound for Zao Onsen (roughly 40 minutes, around ¥1,000 one way). Buses run regularly during ski season but thin out later in the day, so don’t leave the mountain too late.

If you’re coming from Sendai, direct buses to Zao Onsen also run during winter, which can be faster than routing through Yamagata. Roads into Zao are steep and frequently snow-covered — renting a car works, but only if you’re comfortable with winter driving and carry chains or a 4WD; the bus is the easier choice for most visitors.

Riding the Ropeway to See the Snow Monsters

The Zao Ropeway is a two-stage lift that carries you from the base village up through the juhyo forest to the summit area. The lower stage (Sanroku to Juhyo Kogen Station) runs you directly into the thick of the ice monsters, and this is where most people get their photos — you can also get off here and walk short trails between the trees. The upper stage continues to Jizo Sancho Station near the peak, where views open up over the Zao mountain range on a clear day.

Round-trip fare for the full course (both stages) runs around ¥3,000 for adults, with a cheaper option if you only ride the lower stage to the juhyo forest. Gondolas typically run from around 8:30 or 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, with reduced hours on stormy days — high winds occasionally suspend service entirely, so build a buffer day into your itinerary if the ice monsters are your main reason for visiting.

Common mistake: underestimating the cold. Even mild-looking days at the base can be brutally windy at Jizo Sancho, 1,600 meters up. Bring proper winter layers, waterproof gloves, and boots with grip — the platforms and trails get icy. Sunglasses or goggles help too, since sun reflecting off snow is intense.

Skiing and Snowboarding at Zao Onsen

Beyond the ice monsters, Zao Onsen is one of Japan’s largest and oldest ski resorts, with terrain spread across several interconnected areas and runs suited to everyone from beginners to experts. A one-day adult lift pass generally costs somewhere around ¥6,000-7,000, with half-day and multi-day discounts available, and rental shops at the base cover skis, boards, and outerwear if you’re not traveling with gear. Night skiing runs on select courses during high season. The resort is less crowded and cheaper than Niseko or Hakuba, and skiing directly past frozen juhyo trees on the upper courses is a genuinely unique experience you won’t find at bigger-name resorts.

Soaking in Zao’s Hot Springs

Zao Onsen has been a hot spring destination for over a thousand years, and its water is famously strong — highly acidic sulfur springs said to be some of the most potent in Japan, milky white or pale green depending on the source. After a cold day on the ropeway or slopes, this is the payoff. The town has several public bathhouses (sotoyu) open to anyone for a small fee, typically around ¥450-550, including Shinzaemon-no-yu, Kawara-yu, and Ue-no-yu — no reservation needed, just walk in. There’s also a free foot bath (ashiyu) near the bus terminal if you just want a quick warm-up between sightseeing stops. Many ryokan in town also offer day-use bathing for outside visitors, usually in the ¥800-1,500 range, if you want a quieter, more private soak. For a similarly atmospheric but very different-looking Tohoku hot spring town, Ginzan Onsen, with its gaslit wooden inns, makes a great add-on if you’re touring Yamagata Prefecture.

Planning Tips and Budget

Zao Onsen works well as a long day trip from Yamagata or Sendai, but an overnight stay lets you catch the ropeway early before crowds and buses arrive, and gives you time for a proper onsen soak at night. Budget travelers can do the ropeway and a public bathhouse for well under ¥5,000 total; mid-range visitors adding a ski pass and ryokan stay should expect ¥15,000-25,000 per day including meals; a splurge would be a ryokan with in-room hot spring baths and kaiseki dinner, which can run ¥30,000+ per person per night. If you’re picking up souvenirs on the way through Tohoku — Yamagata is within reach of craft towns known for kokeshi dolls — and you end up buying more than fits in your suitcase, it’s worth knowing your options for shipping souvenirs home from Japan before you leave the region.