Ginzan Onsen

When to visit

Ginzan Onsen is beautiful all year round but the most popular time to visit Ginzan Onsen is in the winter because of the beautiful, snowy scenery in the town. It’s also a great time to soak in an onsen and sip some local sake. Because winter is the most popular time to visit Ginzan Onsen you’ll want to book your ryokan months in advance! (up to 6 months in advance). So far, I've only visited in autumn and I absolutely LOVED it. Crowds weren't too bad at all and the fall foliage was beautiful.

How to get to Ginzan Onsen

You can get to Ginzan Onsen from Tokyo by train and bus. The easiest way is to take the Yamagata Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Oishida Station. This takes around 3.5hrs and costs ¥12,450 one-way. From there you can take a local bus to Ginzan Onsen which takes around 40 minutes and costs 1,000 yen one-way. Buses depart every 60-90 minutes. Make sure to check the bus schedule ahead and also for the last bus out! Because of the distance I would recommend to do this trip rather from Yamagata or Sendai as it's a pretty brutal day trip.

To day trip or not to day trip

I personally would not recommend a day trip from Tokyo. While it's relatively easy to do, you're looking at at least 4.5hrs travel time one way with minimal waiting and no delays. It can be done and people have done it but for me it's just too much travel in a single day. A day trip from Sendai or Yamagata is very easy to do and I recommend both cities as a starting point to explore Tohoku!

If you can swing it, staying overnight would be heavily preferred. Even though the onsen town is truly tiny, it pays off to be able to stroll around while the daytrippers have to leave and enjoy a quiet morning before they appear again.

Restaurants in Ginzan Onsen

Ginzan Onsen is VERY small, you can easily see the whole village in an hour, no exaggeration. Because of that, there are very limited options available. I personally came with many snacks prepared as restaurants have irregular hours and sometimes close early or don't open that day at all (even if Google says they are). Most restaurants close down between 4-6pm so don't get in too late! I really like the small local tofu shop that they have, it's a handmade super creamy tofu you can get either steamed or fried.