Madogawa › Mount Zao (Kumano-dake): on the left or the right, facing the direction of travel (Tohoku Shinkansen)
Mount Zao (Kumano-dake): on the left or the right, facing the direction of travel (Tohoku Shinkansen)
Last updated: 17 Oct 2026
Mount Zao (Kumano-dake) on the Tohoku Shinkansen: toward Shin-Aomori, on your LEFT (facing forward) [Seen]; toward Tokyo, on your RIGHT (facing forward) [Line of sight only] (calculated).
On the Tohoku Shinkansen, it lies about 23 km northwest of the track near Shiroishi-Zao Station. Its elevation is 1,841 m (the mountain elevation published by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, GSI), and the calculation checks the line of sight to this single summit point.
Side and timing by direction
Seen = 2+ reports from the train + line of sight by calculation / Line of sight only = line of sight by calculation, fewer than 2 reports / Needs checking = reported but no calculated line of sight, cannot be judged by calculation alone, or neither reported nor in calculated line of sight (lakes and seas labelled Seen are shown as "Seen (hidden by noise barriers in places)")
| Direction | Label | Side | Section (near station) | Timing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| toward Shin-Aomori | Seen | on your LEFT (facing forward) | Koriyama – Fukushima | About 65 min after leaving Tokyo, for about 1 min, hidden in places |
| on your LEFT (facing forward) | Fukushima | About 70 min after leaving Tokyo, for about 1 min, hidden in places | ||
| on your LEFT (facing forward) | Shiroishi-Zao – Furukawa | About 80 min after leaving Tokyo, for about 11 min, hidden in places | ||
| toward Tokyo | Line of sight only | on your RIGHT (facing forward) | Furukawa – Shiroishi-Zao | About 80 min after leaving Shin-Aomori, for about 11 min, hidden in places |
| on your RIGHT (facing forward) | Fukushima | About 105 min after leaving Shin-Aomori, for about 1 min, hidden in places | ||
| on your RIGHT (facing forward) | Fukushima – Koriyama | About 115 min after leaving Shin-Aomori, for about 1 min, hidden in places |
Times assume you board at the end of the line and are estimates from the published fastest travel times: where a published fastest time to an intermediate station exists, we use it, and between those points the time is spread in proportion to distance. They change if you board at an intermediate station or take a train that stops at every station. The table lists up to four of the longest sections with a line of sight, in the order you pass them (if there is a section on the opposite side, the longest of those is always included). "About N min" converts only the distance with a line of sight into time; sections where the view is interrupted are marked "hidden in places". Left and right are as you sit facing forward.
Noise barriers, buildings, trees and cuttings are not in the calculation. Low features such as lakes, rivers and the sea may be hidden by barriers.
Departure times that reach the section in daylight (by month)
Using the 2026 calendar, these are the ranges of departure times for which the sun is at least 6° high when the train enters the section, on all three of the 1st, the 15th and the last day of each month. This is not a weather forecast. Even on a clear day, haze or cloud can hide the view.
| Month | Departure (JST) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 6:15–14:25 |
| Feb | 6:05–15:00 |
| Mar | 5:30–15:30 |
| Apr | 5:00–16:05 |
| May | 5:00–16:30 |
| Jun | 5:00–16:55 |
| Jul | 5:00–16:50 |
| Aug | 5:00–16:10 |
| Sep | 5:00–15:25 |
| Oct | 5:20–14:40 |
| Nov | 5:55–14:15 |
| Dec | 6:15–14:15 |
| Month | Departure (JST) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 6:20–14:20 |
| Feb | 6:05–14:55 |
| Mar | 5:30–15:30 |
| Apr | 5:00–16:00 |
| May | 5:00–16:30 |
| Jun | 5:00–16:55 |
| Jul | 5:00–16:50 |
| Aug | 5:00–16:10 |
| Sep | 5:00–15:25 |
| Oct | 5:20–14:40 |
| Nov | 5:55–14:15 |
| Dec | 6:20–14:10 |
About this place
There is no single mountain named Mount Zao. Zao Town explains that the peaks from Mount Gando in the north to Mount Fubo in the south are called the Zao Range, and the area centred on Mount Kumano (1,841 metres) is called Mount Zao.
Source: 蔵王町 (checked 16 Oct 2026). Changes after that date (renovation, rebuilding, demolition) are not reflected.
Zao Town is working on a Zao Geopark plan. It aims to revitalise the area by reviewing and communicating, as a whole, the geological features of the Zao volcano and the history, culture and industry it has nurtured.
Source: 蔵王町 (checked 16 Oct 2026). Changes after that date (renovation, rebuilding, demolition) are not reflected.