Do you know any tourist spots where you can enjoy Yamagata to the fullest? We recommend “Ginzan Onsen” and “Zao Onsen Ski Resort.” Relax your mind and body at Ginzan Onsen, and enjoy skiing and snowboarding at Zao Onsen Ski Resort. Please come and enjoy the hot spring town and ski resort that Yamagata is proud of. This time, we will give you an easy-to-understand explanation of how to relax at Ginzan Onsen in Yamagata and enjoy skiing at Zao Onsen Ski Resort.
What is Ginzan Onsen?
Ginzan Onsen is a hot spring town located in Ginzan Shinbata, Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture. Ginzan Onsen is pronounced “Ginzan Onsen”. Ginzan Onsen’s name comes from Nobesawa Ginzan, a large silver mine that was at its peak in excavation in the early Edo period.
Basic information about Ginzan Onsen
Here we will introduce basic information about Ginzan Onsen.
❶History
Ginzan Onsen was opened from the Keicho period in the late Azuchi-Momoyama period to the Kanei period in the early Edo period. The hot springs were discovered when a miner working at the Nobezawa Ginzan Silver Mine discovered a hot spring gushing out from the Ginzan River.
It became a hot spring town after 1689, when the Nobesawa Silver Mine closed. After that, it prospered as a hot spring spa. Onsen Toji is a folk remedy that uses the effects of hot springs to improve one’s physical condition. In addition, the hot spring town was destroyed by the great flood of 1913, but after that, it continued to operate as a secret hot spring. Ginzan Onsen became famous again in 1983 when it gained national recognition through the NHK drama “Oshin.”
❷Number of visitors
According to the Yamagata Prefecture Tourist Survey in 2020, the number of tourists visiting hot spring tourist spots was approximately 7,588,000. Compared to FY2021, this is an increase of 20.4%, or approximately 1,284,000 people.
*The number of visitors includes hot springs other than Ginzan Onsen.
❸Location Spirited Away model
Ginzan Onsen is said to be the inspiration for Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film “Spirited Away.” The reason for this was that the image of a three-story wooden hot spring inn posted by Ayu (@auki999) looked exactly like the bathhouse in Spirited Away. The hot spring inn is Notoya Ryokan, which was founded in 1891. When you stand in front of Notoya Ryokan, you can see a beautiful scene that looks like a movie set.
H3 ❹ Surrounding spots
A nearby spot around Ginzan Onsen is the Nobesawa Ginzan Ruins. Here you can explore the Nobesawa Ginzan ruins, from which Ginzan Onsen’s name originates.
What is Zao Onsen Ski Resort?
Zao Onsen Ski Resort is a ski resort located in Zao Onsen Kawahara, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture. The official name is “Yamagata Zao Onsen Ski Resort.” The location is at the western foot of Mt. Zao.
Basic information of Zao Onsen Ski Resort
Here we will introduce basic information about Zao Onsen Ski Resort.
❶One of the largest ski resorts in the Tohoku region
Zao Onsen Ski Resort is one of the largest ski resorts in the Tohoku region. The reason is that the course area is 186ha, which is about 40 times the size of Tokyo Dome. Zao Onsen Ski Resort has a total of 25 courses and 34 lifts. As a single ski resort, it has the largest area and facilities in Japan.
❷Famous for frost-covered trees
Zao Onsen Ski Resort is famous for its frost-covered trees. Rime is a block of ice formed by water vapor or supercooled water droplets that have cooled to below -5 degrees Celsius and freeze when they collide with a tree. Mt. Zao, where Zao Onsen Ski Resort is located, is a famous spot for frost-covered trees, so you can see lots of frost-covered trees during the season.
❸You can see the frost-covered trees on the ropeway even if you are not a skier
At Zao Onsen Ski Resort, you can take the ropeway to see the frost-covered trees even if you are not a skier. Specifically, to get to the frost-covered field, you need to change ropeways twice.
Please transfer to the ropeway as follows.
① Ride the ropeway from Zao Ropeway Sanroku Station to Juhyo Kogen Station
② Take the ropeway from Juhyo Kogen Station and head for Jizo Sancho Station. When you leave Jizo Sancho Station, you can see the frost-covered field right in front of you.
▲A 2.34m Jizo statue is enshrined at the top of the mountain. The snow was up to my shoulders.
❹ Surrounding spots
The nearby spot of Zao Onsen Ski Resort is “Zao Onsen”. Zao Onsen is located 450 meters from Yamagata Zao Onsen Ski Resort and can be reached in about 6 minutes on foot. We recommend the open-air bath located at the back of the hot spring town, which has a total area of about 100 tatami mats.
Access information to Ginzan Onsen
Here you will find detailed information about access to Ginzan Onsen. The address of Ginzan Onsen is “Oaza Ginzan Shinbata, Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture.”
❶Route from Yamagata City Hall to Ginzan Onsen by car
| Yamagata City Hall ⇒ Prefectural Route 19 ⇒ National Route 13 ⇒ Hanagasa Line ⇒ Prefectural Route 188 ⇒ Ginzan Onsen |
The total travel distance is approximately 63.2km, and the travel time is approximately 1 hour and 21 minutes.
Summary
This time, we introduced how to heal yourself at Ginzan Onsen in Yamagata and enjoy skiing at Zao Onsen Ski Resort. Ginzan Onsen and Zao Onsen Ski Resort are major sightseeing spots in Yamagata. At Ginzan Onsen, you can soothe your mind and body with the hot springs that are effective, and at Zao Onsen Ski Resort, you can enjoy a dashing ski while viewing the famous frost-covered trees. When you visit Yamagata, we recommend that you stop by Ginzan Onsen and Zao Onsen Ski Resort.
▲Official website
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