A single street of three- and four-story wooden ryokan facing each other across a hot-spring river deep in the Yamagata mountains. The buildings date to the 1910s and 1920s when the village rebuilt after a flood, with intricate carved kote-e plaster reliefs on every facade. Cars stop at the village entrance. Gas lamps light the river at dusk and snow piles waist-deep through the long winter, when the village earns its visual reputation as one of the country's most photographed onsen towns. The silver mine that gave Ginzan its name closed in 1689; the abandoned tunnels are open to walk through behind the village.
What Ginzan Onsen is known for
Top-rated in Ginzan Onsen
Notoya Ryokan
4.6wellness
A historic landmark inn in Ginzan Onsen, often cited as an inspiration for Spirited Away.
Shirogane Park
4.4landmark
Shirogane Park lies on the southern outskirts of Ginzan Onsen, connecting the historic town to the shuttered mines that were once the lifeblood of the community.
Shirogane Falls
4.5nature
Follow the river upstream through Ginzan Onsen to reach Shirogane Falls.
Natsu Shirazu Cave (QR/Web)
4.2landmark
Old tunnels running through the mountains surrounding Ginzan Onsen are remnants of the area’s silver mining heritage.
Ginzan Onsen
4.0onsen
Ginzan Onsen is a hot spring resort with traditional multistory inns, featuring white plaster walls, colorful kote-e plaster reliefs, and exposed wood, that call to mind the Taisho era (1912–1926).
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