Located in the southwest of Miyagi, Zao Town lies at the eastern base of the sacred Zao Mountain Range. The Zao region was officially certified as a National Geopark in January of 2025.
The Zao/Togatta Onsen Trail Course begins at the Zao Town Tourist Information Center, which is situated in the heart of Togatta Onsen, a hot spring town which has flourished since the Edo period
The trail leads you past the welcoming shops of Zao-dori Shopping Street, to a superb viewpoint overlooking the Zao peaks and the hot spring district.
From Togatta Onsen's iconic Kokeshi Bridge, you will reach the riverside Matsukawa Cycling Road. In spring, the juxtaposition of cherry blossom trees lining the road and lingering snow on the Zao Mountain Range creates a stunning vista.
Traditional kokeshi dolls, a craft that developed within the Tohoku region, are displayed at the Miyagi Zao Kokeshi Museum. To the west of the museum, the trail passes through the “Forest of Relaxation”, which is maintained by students of Miyagi Ogawara Industrial High School as part of their practical training program, before continuing on to "Kokeshi no Sato" (Kokeshi Village), a historic settlement of woodcraft artisans.
This area is one of the oldest to produce kokeshi dolls in Tohoku, and you can enjoy its historic atmosphere at Koretaka Shrine, which is dedicated to the ancestors of the woodcraft artisans.
Follow the trail alongside fields and farmland, feeling connected with nature and the local lifestyle, before arriving at Zao Heartland. Located at an elevation of roughly 550 meters, you can stroll through the vast pastureland and enjoy 360-degree panoramic views that overlook the Zao Mountain Range and Togatta Onsen.
The trail end location, Zao Dairy Center Cheese Cabin, is a farm shop adjacent to a dairy factory where you can sample nationally-renowned Zao Cheese. Within this popular tourist facility, you can also browse the local goods showcased within the shop, and enjoy the rose garden located on the grounds, which primarily blooms in early summer.
This trail allows you to bask in the steam of Togatta Onsen, experiencing its charming history, and a way of life that coexists with nature.
Located next to the Zao Town Tourist Information Center in the heart of Togatta Onsen is Kami no Yu, a public bathhouse popular with day visitors. The nearby Zao-dori Shopping Street is lined with restaurants and traditional inns, making it a great place for a stroll.
A viewpoint that offers magnificent sights overlooking the sacred Zao Mountain Range and Togatta Onsen. You can also gaze upon Zao Heartland, your next destination.
Kokeshi Bridge, an iconic landmark of Togatta Onsen, spans the Matsukawa River. The Matsukawa River is formed by the confluence of two contrasting rivers: the clear-flowing Sumikawa River, which flows from the southern Zao area, and the Nigorikawa River, which flows from near the active volcanic crater, Okama.
Togatta Onsen is the birthplace of kokeshi dolls, a traditional craft of the Tohoku region. The permanent exhibition at the Miyagi Zao Kokeshi Museum displays 5,500 items, including traditional Togatta kokeshi and other regional kokeshi and wooden toys. The museum offers kokeshi painting workshops, and has a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs.
A footpath behind the Miyagi Zao Kokeshi Museum leads to a settlement where traditional wood artisan live. Koretaka Shrine, which enshrines the ancestors of the wood artisans, is also a photo spot with nostalgic charm.
The Nanokahara Plateau sits on an alluvial fan, a landform created where a river flows from the mountains onto a plain. Its surface is covered with well-drained volcanic ash soil, making it ideal for the cultivation of high-quality highland vegetables. On the course, you will walk alongside fields of Zao Kogen Daikon (Zao Highland Radishes).
This approximately 100-hectare ranch (equivalent in size to twenty Tokyo Domes) lets you interact with animals such as goats, try your hand at dairy-making at the "Handicraft Experience Center," and enjoy soft-serve ice cream, Molk (a dairy-based drink), and Zao Cheese at the food counter and shop.
The finish point, Cheese Cabin, is the official shop for Zao Cheese, located right next to the cheese factory. In addition to factory-fresh cheeses and dairy products, popular items include homemade ice cream and the original drink, Molk. The grounds also feature a restaurant where you can enjoy cheese dishes and a rose garden that blooms with approximately 400 varieties of roses.
Zao Town Sightseeing & Products Association・Zao Guide WEB
Zao Town offers a wide selection of accommodation to suit any travel style, as well as many restaurants where you can savor local flavors.
Please check the Zao Town Sightseeing & Products Association or the Zao Guide WEB for details.
Zao Cheese has grown to become a nationally recognized brand. It is made using high-quality milk from cows raised freely on the vast pastures of the Nanokahara Plateau at the foot of Mount Zao, with meticulous care, time, and effort. With many varieties available, it's the perfect souvenir.
The Togatta Traditional Kokeshi Doll is a charming folk craft. These dolls are characterized by striking red decorations on the head, an elaborate chrysanthemum pattern on the body, and a delicate face. Creative original-design kokeshi by young artisans are also popular.
JAPAN X is a leading brand of pork representing Miyagi and originating in Zao. Raised stress-free in the abundant nature of Zao, the fatty pork has a delicious umami flavor. Many restaurants throughout the town offer dishes featuring JAPAN X.
Zao is one of Miyagi Prefecture's leading pear-producing regions by volume. Nurtured with great care by local farmers and benefiting from the magnificent Zao mountain range, a wide variety of these pears can be enjoyed from late August to late October. During pear season, you can purchase them directly from roadside stands at the farms, and some farms also offer pear-picking experiences for visitors.
In addition to Zao Pears, the town is blessed with a variety of agricultural products nurtured by its rich natural environment. Rice and taro root grown with snowmelt from the Zao Mountain Range, as well as specialty brand eggs raised with great care, are all certified as Miyagi Zao Brand products.
The Zao Geopark, which stretches across the eastern foothills of the Zao Mountain Range, is inscribed with the history of this land shaped by volcanic activity, the nature nurtured upon this land, and the lives of the people who have long coexisted with the volcano and nature.
To ensure that this Geological Heritage, born from the earth's past activity, is preserved for the present and the future, local resources are being utilized for education and tourism while being carefully conserved.
The Zao Geopark Center serves as the 'starting point of the journey' when touring Zao Geopark (within Zao Town). Here, you can view exhibition panels introducing highlights of the area, as well as rock specimens found at the summit of Mount Zao.
Okama Crater Lake, the symbol of Zao, is located in the crater of Goshikidake Peak and has been volcanically active for approximately 800 years.
Also known as Goshiki-numa (Five-Color Pond), it is possible to view a mesmerizing range of colors depending on the angle and intensity of the light.
Zao Echo Line, a mountain road leading from Togatta Onsen to Okama, is dotted with viewpoints, including Takimidai, selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls, and Komakusadaira, a thriving habitat of the alpine plant Dicentra peregrina (Komakusa). (The road is closed during winter, from early November to late April.)
Contact:
Zao Town Agriculture, Forestry, and Tourism Division
TEL. 0224-33-2215
* The area is closed during winter, from late November to early April.
* Please be aware that the trail passes through an area where bears have been sighted.