River and bridges
Between inns.
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Ginzan Onsen is a small hot-spring village in a mountain valley, where three- and four-storey wooden inns line both banks of a little river crossed by bridges. In the evening the streets are lit by gas lamps, and in winter heavy snow covers everything. Its name means «silver mine hot spring»; it grew rich on silver mining before turning to tourism. Its houses of timber and white plaster date from the Taishō era, 1912 to 1926, and there are no modern buildings. The village centre is pedestrian-only. At its far end is the Shirogane waterfall, about 7 m high, near the old silver mine. It has two public baths, one designed by the architect Kengo Kuma, and a foot bath. You stroll the riverside street, soak your feet, walk to the waterfall and old mine, and wait for dusk to see the lamps come on. It is about 11 km in a straight line east of Obanazawa station, reached by bus. The village is tiny and crowded on winter evenings.
Between inns.
In winter.
At the end.
Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture
Winter evenings for snow and lamps.
Yes, book very early.