Zao Onsen, Yamagata, and Tohoku Collection

Woman wearing blue and light yellow scarf that reads Japan around her neck.

Zao Onsen is a famous spot in the Tohoku region for snow monster viewing. These monsters make an appearance at the top of the mountain every January and February. Visitors will never forget the experience of either gliding through them or taking the gondola high above them. They’re really snow-covered trees, but they take on individual personalities as unique as humans. From day-to-day one tree will take on a different personality. This Zao Snow Monster ski scarf design features unaltered original photography of the snow-covered snow monsters taken at dusk, as well as the Japanese characters for Japan, or “ni-hon” as it is pronounced in Japanese.

To order, contact: TokudAw

Image of a rectangular shape tube scarf featuring the Zao Snow monsters at dusk in a pale blue with the sun setting above in a pale yellow. Text reads Japan and Zao.
Woman wearing a tube scarf pulled over her head. The scarf is blue and light yellow featuring a picture of snow covered trees known as snow monsters.

Onsens, or hot springs, are spread throughout Japan, but Zao Onsen has some of the most acidic bathing waters with high sulfur content. This is all thanks to the winter mountain visitors love, Mt. Zao, which is a volcano and home to beautiful snow-drenched landscapes. Even visitors who don’t ski or snowboard enjoy a trip to the summit of Mount Zao to take in the scenery and pay a visit to the Jizo Bodhisattva (or little Buddha) statue atop of the ropeway.

Product image of a rectangular tube ski scarf with a black and red design. Features a red heart and the word yuki or snow and zao, short for Zao onsen.
Woman looking far away wearing a black, red, and pink tube scarf bunched around her neck. Text reads Zao and Yuki and background is a red heart with black water waves.
Woman looking away wearing a tube scarf over her head. Scarf has a red heart on her cheek and the words yuki and zao are visible on the size in red and black.

This scarf celebrates both the love of snow, or “yuki” as it is pronounced in Japanese and the onsen culture. The word “yu” in Japanese means hot water, and is sometimes used to reference the hot water of an onsen. In this design, the sound of “yu” of the word “yuki” is highlighted in black to represent the onsen culture of Zao. The textured background is a symbolic shape sometimes used in Japanese art to represent water, another nod to the onsen culture of the Zao resort.

To order, contact: TokudAw