Ginzan Onsen is the most famed travel paradise of Yamagata Prefecture. The town is nestled against the mountains and wavy along the fanciful hot springs all year. The bright beauty of Ginzan Onsen is continuously kept in four seasons. So, what’s hot and what to do in Ginzan Onsen Yamagata Japan? Let’s check out our Ginzan Onsen Japan Guide to explore the beautiful town like in fairy tales of Yamagata in Japan to find out the answer!

Ginzan Onsen hot spring
Ginzan hot springs
Beautiful wooden houses in Ginzan Onsen Town | ginzan onsen yamagata japan
The days of transfer between the old year and the new year, Ginza looks so cold and enchanting | ginzan onsen japan guide

The spring is coated with the brilliant peach blossoms, the summer is romantic and has fully warm sunshine, the autumn is dazzled with maple leaves and the snow-white winter is fully hugged by a white snow princess. Coming to Ginzan as where visitors are entered a fairy tale comic world. Let’s discover KKday to this winter town during travelling to Japan!

Summer in Ginzan Onsen
Summer | ginzan onsen japan guide
Ginzan Onsen Yamagata in autumn
Winter_Ginzan Onsen
Winter

Ginzan Onsen Japan guide: Hundred-year-old Lofts

Ginzan Onsen was translated into Vietnamese as “silver mine hot springs”. In the 1600s-1800s, the town attracted several people of all over Japan with a popular silver mining, which brought a stable income.

Former Silver mine in the town
Former Silver mine in the town

In order to have accommodations for residents coming from different places, the inns by lofts began to find around the town in the 1900s. Therefore, Ginzan Onsen was known as a crowded town under the Edo era. Up to date, the town’s space had been still influenced strongly by the Taisho era’s cultural color such as wooden roofs or small lofts quietly being on two river banks.

Wooden houses
Modern structure by traditional wood in use creates a beautiful winter town
hot springs-inns
Visitors’ accommodations with wooden Inns by Lofts

In the nightfall, the town blended into the yellow lights, creating a poetic setting.

A fanciful scenery of Ginzan Onsen
A fanciful scenery of Ginzan Onsen

From the 1980s, when the silver mining activities were stopped, Ginzan town centralized to develop a travel model of hot springs. The inn ranges which were built in combination of the traditional and modern structures continuously sprouted on two riverbanks. Over time, it created a lot of interesting discovery places for visitors from everywhere to enjoy Japanese traditional culture.

Ginzan Onsen Yamagata in winter
Inn ranges_Ginzan Onsen
Inn ranges with traditional and modern styles | ginzan onsen japan guide

Ginzan Onsen Yamagata Japan: Ginzan Onsen’s Beauty comes out from the comics

Coming to Ginzan Onsen in the seasonal transformation period of Autumn – Winter, you are lost in the legendary world. The town’s ancient house ranges, which were gotten older, are hidden in a corner of the mountain.

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Shiba dog in Ginzan
A Shiba dog in Ginzan is playing with snow

When the leaves begin to turn to red, it is also the time when Ginzan is as a magnet to attract the tourists to gather for soaking in the hot water. It is unsurprised that series of check-in photos on Yamagata are involved in appearance of Ginzan Onsen.

Red leaves in Yamagata

yamagata-leaves-turn-to-red
Leaves turn to red in Yamagata

If you are a believer of Japanese comics, Ginzan Onsen shall bring you an unforgettable experience during the peak travel season. When the snow starts to cover all grounds, the white floor is pressed down by every footprint, the house roofs shall be as the shelters of snow for a few months. At this time, the outside scenery seeing from windows are like the poetic drawing lines, coming out from a meticulously polished comic book.

Full snow on roofs
Roofs and Access covered by full snow

In the nightfall, the town hanging various lanterns makes you feel as loss in the mysterious spirited land. The light rays creeping into the darkness and the icy cold during snowing draw the beautiful pictures as the fairy tale. Many people told each other that Ginzan in the winter looked like a Spirited Away opus of the Ghibli. Is such a shimmer that you want to wear a kimono and keep the beautiful photos? Link to book Kimono: [Klook Exclusive] VASARA Kimono and Yukata Rental in Tokyo.

Fantasy town as a Spirited Away opus
Fantasy town as a Spirited Away opus
Vibrant and sparkling at night like in a fairy taie | ginzan onsen japan guide
Twinkling scenery
A beautiful scenery with twinkling lights is like in a legendary world

Ginzan Onsen Japan guide: Soaking in the fading water lines of Ginzan Onsen

Enjoying the beautiful landscapes as well as soaking in a warm spring are stunning. The hot water in Ginzan does not only help relax but also has a pleasant aroma. Soaking in public or private bathtubs in Ginzan shall help your body to be got in ease and recovered after a tired working period.

Shiba dog
Soaking in hot springs as well as looking at a Shiba dog make you interesting
Enjoy soaking at outdoor thermal spring
Enjoy soaking at outdoor thermal spring bath

Several herbal remedies in Ginzan Onsen are applied as an effectively remedial method. The fading steam from the hot spring creates relaxation and a mysterious space.

bathing in onsen
Remedy in hot spring bath
Soaking in History at Ginzan Hot Springs
Ginzan Onsen Yamagata Japan hot springs in autumn
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Travelling at the town should not forget trying cherry. Ginzan where is known as one of the best places for Cherry in this sunrise country.

Delicious Foods in Ginzan Onsen
Delicious Foods in Ginzan Onsen

Ginzan Onsen Yamagata Japan: Landscapes adjoining Ginzan Onsen

Zao-san mountain range is between the border of Yamagata and Miyagi Prefectures. In summer, Mount Zao attracts a large number of travelers to arrive in Okama Crater and beautiful hiking paths. In winter, Zao Onsen hot spring becomes a hiking region and a resort in combination. The crater in these days is as a reflective mirror for both of the sky and the earth.

Mount Zao
Mount Zao attracts a large number of travelers
Okama Crater
Okama Crater

Zao Onsen hot spring is located about 800m from the Mount Zao slope. This place is famous due to water having acid and PH level with an approximate equal of 1. However, unfortunately the extremely beautiful bathtub outside is closed in the winter. Zao Onsen is only opened for months when the weather is warm in the year. If you go to Zao in the summer, you should compare the differences of two hot springs in Zao and Ginzan.

How to get to Zao?

  • From Tokyo: To Yamagata by JR Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train, ticket costs 11,000 yen.
JR Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train
JR Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train
  • From Sendai: To Yamagata by JR Senzan Line train, ticket costs 1140 yen.
JR Senzan Line train
JR Senzan Line train

An arrival of Yamagata shall be continuously taken bus to go straight to Zao Onsen hot spring, ticket costs 1000 yen.

There is 1 daily bus trip to go straight from Sendai to Zao Onsen in the winter. Time for transportation is about 100 minutes, ticket costs 1600 yen.

Ginzan Onsen Japan guide: How to get to Ginzan Onsen?

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How to be comfortable to enjoy Ginzan paradise? If you are in Tokyo, you should travel by JR Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train to Oishida station with a ticket price of 12,000 yen.

Tokyo to Oishida Station
Tokyo to Oishida Station

Next, you pay 710 yen to get on a bus to Ginzan Onsen around 35 minutes. Other departure is from Yamagata airport.

Oishida Station to Ginzan Onsen
Oishida Station to Ginzan Onsen

There are 2 trips of bus per day in the morning and the early afternoon, one-way ticket is 1500 yen.

Or you can combine the domestic flight routes to arrive at Nagoya. Then you arrive by subway to Ginzan, where is a proper adventure as well.

Especially, KKday has the available tours for travelling both Ginzan Onsen and Zao mountains with an extremely good price, you only book tours here and let’s go. Or buy JR East Tohoku Area Pass (5 Days) to explore Tohoku region.

Cultural Festival in Ginzan Onsen
Cultural Festival in the town attracts many visitors’ attention

Minor suggestions of Klook for you

If you desire a trip to Ginzan Onsen and go around all over Japan, don’t miss these attentions.

The more importance is a travel Sim 4G or a pocket Wifi. These devices are always necessary for international travel, please click on the following link to receive sim at Japan’s air ports.

JR Pass
JR Pass

Finally, it is the JR Pass multi-functional ticket for travelling. Transportation in Japan is more expensive than many times in our local country. High-speed subway and bus are two transporting means with the most appropriate cost. Let buy a JR Pass card to save money for the journey to discover the land of Japan. Link to buy: JR Pass for Whole Japan (7, 14, or 21 Days).

Reference for SECRETES AND SCOPE OF USE OF JAPAN’S JR PASS.

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