Ginzan Onsen
銀山温泉38°34′ N 140°32′ EOnsen town
Ginzan Onsen suits travellers who want to see a wooden Taisho-era inn street under snow and can stay the night; winter day trips now run on timed shuttle tickets from a car park 2 km away.
Photo by Pony Chang on Unsplash and others, credited in the gallery
Know before you bathe
In winter keep to the river side of the diamond-shaped tiles down the middle of the street, because snow slides off the inn roofs onto the building side. Overnight guests come first here, so day visitors should keep to the shuttle times.
Getting there
The union's rail route runs from Yamagata on the Ou Main Line to Oishida, then by bus to Obanazawa and on to Ginzan. In winter day visitors park at the Taisho Roman-kan and ride the shuttle, and the union says plainly not to walk the 2 km road. Drivers should avoid Prefectural Road 29 over the Seaburi pass, which is very narrow, and Route 347 closes in winter.
Ginzan Onsen is a narrow street of wooden inns along the Ginzan river in Obanazawa. Gas lamps light it at dusk. The union describes its look as Taisho-era nostalgia, and its snow scenes draw day trippers all winter.
That popularity brought the winter rules. The only road in narrows between snow banks in winter, and one stuck car can block an ambulance, so the union limits cars and paces day visitors. For 2026/27 it plans timed shuttle buses every 20 minutes from the Taisho Roman-kan. Each outbound ticket comes with a set return bus an hour and 20 minutes later.
Spend the night if you can. Overnight guests get the street after the shuttles stop, and they have the inn baths to themselves.
Worth knowing
- Book the winter Priority Pass as soon as the union opens it, because it expects very few same-day places.
- If you take the 11:00–14:00 outbound bus you may return on any bus until 15:20, which leaves time for lunch.
Quick answers about Ginzan Onsenよくある質問
Can I drive to Ginzan Onsen in winter?
Day visitors can't drive into the village from December to early March. Park at the Taisho Roman-kan and take the shuttle bus, and don't walk the road.
How much is the Ginzan Onsen winter shuttle?
For 2026/27 the union plans ¥1,300, ¥1,000 or ¥1,500 depending on the outbound time. Those prices match last winter's, and the union will confirm them before the season.
In the journal
