Ginzan Onsen: Hot Spring Guide & Visitor Access

Ginzan Onsen, in the mountains of Obanazawa City, is an old hot spring welling up in a land that once bustled with a silver mine. Tradition holds that miners of the Nobesawa silver mine found the water in the Keicho to Kanei era. Wooden inns of three to four stories face one another across the Ginzan River, and as dusk falls, gas lamps glow softly. A great flood in 1913 badly damaged the hot spring town, but it was splendidly rebuilt afterward, forming the streetscape that continues today.

Highlights

The greatest appeal is the unified streetscape created by the group of inns built from the Taisho to early Showa era and the stone-paved path along the river. The main building of Notoya Ryokan, built around 1925, is a multi-story wooden structure designated a national Registered Tangible Cultural Property, conveying its dignified presence to this day. The silhouette of the buildings viewed from the bridge is like a picture postcard. The public bath Shirogane-yu is known for its modern exterior designed by architect Kengo Kuma, and together with a free foot bath it makes for a fine leisurely walk. Deep in the town remain the tiered Shirogane Falls and the mine shaft ruins of the Nobesawa silver mine, designated a national historic site. Part of the silver mine tunnels can be viewed, evoking the mining of long ago.

Seasonal Highlights

Snowy winter, when the snowscape is lit by gas lamps, is a fantastical and highly popular season. In the fresh green and autumn-leaf seasons you can feel a coolness along with the murmur of the river. From the bridges over the Ginzan River and the riverside promenade, you can enjoy the streetscape and mountain scenery, which change their expression with each season.

Access and Basic Information

Oishida Station on the Yamagata Shinkansen is about 40 minutes by bus. The water is a saline sulfur spring, and the temperature is generally high, in the 50 to 60 degree Celsius range, warming the body to the core. It is a spring with a scent of sulfur, and the warmth after bathing is characteristically long-lasting. The former public bath Oyu has closed, and the renovated Shirogane-yu is now the center of the bath rounds. In 1968 the area was designated a National Health Resort Hot Spring.

Practical Travel Notes

In winter the roads are narrow and snowfall heavy, so vehicle access to the center of the town by day-trippers is restricted, and you may need to walk from a parking lot a little distance away. Especially during snowfall, the day-use parking lot may be unavailable, so using public transport or an inn shuttle is reassuring. As a guide, allow about half a day to stroll the streets and visit the foot bath, public bath, and falls. The lighting of the gas lamps at dusk is the greatest sight, so even on a day trip, staying until evening deepens the impression. If you stay overnight, you can fully savor the quiet nighttime streetscape after the day-trippers have left.

A Word of Advice

Winter weekends grow crowded, so it is best to arrive early, aiming for the lamp-lighting time at dusk. The stone paving can be slippery with snow or ice, so wear non-slip shoes in winter. The town's streets are narrow, so when taking photos, keep an eye on your surroundings so as not to block the way.