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is a famous
is a famous hot spring
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by c ...
area on Mount Zaō
The , commonly called Mount Zaō, are a complex cluster of stratovolcanoes on the border between Yamagata Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture in Japan. The central volcano of the group includes several lava domes and a tuff cone, Goshiki-dake, which ...
in the northern part of Honshū, the main island of Japan.
History
Records of the onsen date back as far as 110 AD. A wounded warrior is said to have drawn an arrow out of his body and cleaned the wound at a spring only to find that the injury healed miraculously quickly and well. It is known locally as "Springs of Beauty."Location
Zaō Onsen is located in the Mount Zaō stratovolcanic range. Although Mount Zaō stretches between Yamagata and Miyagi Prefectures, the town where Zaō Onsen is located was recently merged into Yamagata City. The hot spring is accessible via theTōhoku Expressway
The is a south-north national expressway, and the longest expressway in Japan at . Its southern terminus is in Kawaguchi, Saitama in the Greater Tokyo Area, at the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway and Kawaguchi Route near Araijuku Station, and its no ...
.
Water profile
The hot mineral water has a high acid and sulfur content, giving it the characteristic smell of rotten eggs from the sulphur. Other minerals include iron, aluminum, sulfate and chloride. The water temperature at the open air public bathhouse is 113 °F/45 °C.Snow monster phenomenon
The Zao Mountain is known for its conifer trees which become encrusted and solidified by January due to thehard rime
Rime ice forms when supercooled water liquid droplets freeze onto surfaces. Meteorologists distinguish between three basic types of ice forming on vertical and horizontal surfaces by deposition of supercooled water droplets. There are also interm ...
phenomenon, which is caused by heavy snow and winds of freezing temperatures. These formations are known as "snow monsters" or ''juhyo'' in Japanese. They are caused by the frigid storm winds of the Siberian jet stream.
References
External links
*Kamiyu public bath {{DEFAULTSORT:Zao Onsen Hot springs of Japan Tourist attractions in Yamagata Prefecture Landforms of Yamagata Prefecture