Yamagata Prefecture
The most beautiful sight of the deep north of Japan.
Of all the breathtaking sights of the deep north of Japan, it could easily be argued that the most beautiful of all is the sight of Ginzan Onsen covered in snow.
With its traditional Taisho Era buildings packed tightly along the river, this small onsen town located deep in the mountains is a dream destination for those seeking the nostalgia of Japan as portrayed in Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. To learn more about Ginzan Onsen and how to get to it in seasons other than winter, see our full article about it here.
The focus of this article will be specifically on how to visit Ginzan Onsen in the winter which faces three main issues visitors should be aware of that we will detail below.
Public Transportation
The first is that public transportation options here are very limited. The public bus that runs here is a small bus that runs 5 times a day. Please view the bus schedule on our main Ginzan Onsen article linked above. You will be able to see that the times here are limited and do not allow visitors much time to enjoy the famous illuminated view of Ginzan Onsen.
Guests should also be aware that the number of tourists visiting here are surging each year and there are times when guests are not able to ride on a bus due to it being overcapacity.
Weather Conditions
Ginzan Onsen in the winter is particularly cold and sees a heavy amount of snow fall.
Guests must be prepared for sub-zero temperatures, please bring proper heavy jackets.
We are aware most guests dress in fashionable clothes to take pictures here and suffer from the freezing conditions.
The road to Ginzan Onsen also can experience whiteouts and there are times when the bus and even taxis may become disrupted.
Lodging
Everyone and their friend’s friends want to stay at Ginzan Onsen during the months of December, January, and February.
Book a bus trip to Ginzan Onsen
What's Included
A bus service is offered by Tendo Days, a promotional group in Tendo Onsen. We forward your reservations in Japanese to them.
We can help with booking a hotel in the Tendo area if requested.
Cost
Round-trip Ticket:
Adults: 5750 yen per person
Elementary school students: 2,875 yen per person
infants (3years old or lower) using seats: 1,150 yen per person
Experience Availability
January and February
Here is the bus schedule:
15:30 Bus pickup at Hohoemi no Shuku Takinoyu
15:35 Bus pickup at Azuma-so
16:40 Arrive at Ginzan Onsen
18:00 Depart from Ginzan Onsen
19:00 Drop off at Tendo Onsen Yatai Mura and Yokocho
19:05 Hohoemi no Shuku Taki no Yu
19:10 Drop off at Azuma-so
Average Duration
approx. 4.5 hours
Meeting Location
Hohoemi no Shuku Taki no Yu or Azuma-so in Tendo Onsen area
Important notes
Experience availability may vary. Reserve to confirm availability.
Please notify us at least 3 days before if you must cancel or modify your reservation.
Please notify us at least 3 days before if you must cancel or modify your reservation.
From the start, Ginzan Onsen had two serious limiting factors that made it ill-prepared for the surge in tourists that have come starting about four years ago.
The first is that this onsen town has few lodging areas and becomes fully booked almost a full year in advance each winter.
The second is that its located in a very remote part of the mountains of Yamagata and has virtually no public transportation options to reach it.
The result of this is that it’s very difficult to stay at Ginzan Onsen during the winter and it’s extremely difficult to visit here to enjoy the winter views if you don’t spend the night.
To address this issue, Ginzan Onsen recently collaborated with the neighboring hot spring town of Tendo Onsen located about one hour away.
This Onsen town has large onsen resorts with hundreds of rooms and plenty of capacity for tourists hoping to stay near Ginzan Onsen.
Most notably, they also launched a limited roundtrip bus service that runs between Tendo Onsen and Ginzan Onsen during January and February for tourists to see Ginzan Onsen in the evening.
Bus Schedule
15:30 Bus pickup at Hohoemi no Shuku Taki no Yu
15:35 Bus pickup at Azuma-so
16:40 Arrive at Ginzan Onsen
18:00 Depart from Ginzan Onsen
19:00 Drop off at Tendo Onsen Yatai Mura and Yokocho
19:05 Hohoemi no Shuku Taki no Yu
19:10 Drop off at Azuma-so
While a bit short in terms of the length of time you will spend at Ginzan Onsen, this is still one of the more practical options for visiting this location during the winter season.
It is more practical if you spend the night at one of the onsen resorts in Tendo as this bus schedule was made specifically so that hotel guests can be back in time for dinner at their hotels.
To learn more about Ginzan Onsen and how to get to it in seasons other than winter, see our full article about it here.
Injuries about Bus or Taxi Bookings
You can send a booking inquiry for your experience below. After we receive your inquiry, we will confirm the booking with our partners and send you a booking confirmation email at least 3 days before your desired date.
Please note this form does not confirm the availability of an experience or reserves an experience straightaway.
To see access options to Ginzan Onsen for seasons other than winter, see our full article about it here.
Cancelation policy
Our cancelation policy for this experience is below. Cancelation fees may vary according to exceptional circumstances. In cases of cancellation due to acts of god such as weather or bus mechanical failure we will refund customers in full.
10 business days before date of experience
15% of total price
5 business days before date of experience
50% of total price
3 business day before date of experience or same day
100% of total price
