Public bathhouse · Open
Shirogane-yu communal bath
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- Unconfirmedno check date
- Hours
- Unconfirmedchecked 2026-10-09
Photo information
Save to passport
Official classification
Spring type (therapeutic classes)
Official spring-type name (as recorded)Salt-bearing sulfur spring / sulfur-bearing sodium chloride spring (names vary by source). The association describes a milky water flecked with fine yunohana
- Source temperature
- 44–65°C
- pH
- Unconfirmed
- Flow rate
- Unconfirmed
- Radon
- Unconfirmed
Appearance & feel
Water colour · Feel
Milky white
Colour and feel are listed only where a source states them. They vary by day and by bath.
What makes it special
Along both banks of the Ginzan River stand three- and four-storey wooden inns from the 1920s and 30s. On snowy nights the gas lamps come on.
Facilities in this area
Facilities come from the register (Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, official sites). Those marked "natural spring unconfirmed" are listed on the basis of their name only.
Public bathhouse · Status unconfirmed
Oyu (Kajika-yu) communal bath
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- ¥300checked 2026-10-09
- Hours
- 8:00–20:00checked 2026-10-09
Day-use bath · Open
Omokage-yu private bath
- Day-use bathing
- Yes
- Fee
- Unconfirmedno check date
- Hours
- 受付 10:00–17:00checked 2026-10-09
Getting there
Reachable by public transport
From Oishida Station on the Yamagata Shinkansen, about 40 minutes by bus (the association routes you via a change at Obanazawa, then 40 minutes). From Sendai, an express bus to Obanazawa takes about 2 hours, then 40 minutes by bus. By car, about 30 minutes from Obanazawa IC. The street itself is closed to private cars; in winter 2026–27 you park at Taisho Roman-kan and take a reserved shuttle, and even local-bus passengers without an entry reservation will be set down there.
- Getting there
- Oishida Station (Yamagata Shinkansen) · 40
- Through the year
- Winter 2026–27: cars stop at Taisho Roman-kan for a reserved shuttle (inbound 9:00–10:40 1,300 yen, 11:00–13:40 1,000 yen, 14:00–18:00 1,500 yen, every 20 min; return slot 80 minutes after arrival). Walking in is prohibited and the day-visitor car park is buried in snow
- Checked
- 2026-10-09
About the water
A sulfur- and salt-bearing water that the association describes as milky white with fine yunohana flakes. Ginzan began as inns built directly over springs rising beside the river, piped into indoor baths; sources are said to run 44–65°C. Sulfur springs cloud easily, and chloride springs are the type said to keep you warm after bathing. pH values and posted indications at individual inns and the communal baths were not seen.
| Source | Source temperature | pH | Radon | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ginzan Onsen (inn sources) | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | no check date |
Three things not to miss
Photo information
The street of wooden inns
Along the Ginzan River from Shirogane Bridge to the falls When a 1926 borehole brought up abundant hot water, every inn rebuilt at once in Western-influenced timber of three or four storeys. A 1986 townscape preservation ordinance protects the look, the lane is barely wide enough for two people to pass, and cars are banned.
No other Japanese onsen street is so completely of a single era.[1][3]
Photo information
Snow and gaslight
The main street after dusk In winter the gas lamps light a world of snow. For the 2026–27 season, visitors park at Taisho Roman-kan and take a reserved shuttle (1,000–1,500 yen inbound, every 20 minutes); numbers are capped by time slot. Walk on the river side of the diamond tiles down the middle of the lane to stay clear of snow sliding off roofs.
One of the most photographed night scenes in Japan, though winter rules tighten every year.[2][4]
Photo information
Shirogane Falls and the silver-mine tunnels
Beyond the far end of town, from Ginzan Shirogane Park At the head of the town the 22-metre Shirogane Falls drop into the valley; about 15 minutes on from the park are the entrances to the Nobesawa silver mine, worked from 1457. The south and north adits are national historic sites, lit and walkable for free (closed from first snow until the spring opening).
You can step into the silver mine that gave the onsen its name.[5][3]
The story
The miners' spring
In the autumn of 1457 a prospector from Kanazawa opened the Nobesawa silver mine, and the valley boomed as a mining town until the end of the 1600s. Miners are said to have found the hot spring between 1596 and 1644, and after the mine closed in 1689 inns grew up for cure-seekers. Twelve kilometres of bad road from the main highway, the village lived on toji guests and small trade, and appears in a late-Edo ranking of hot springs.[1][5][3]
Flood and rebuilding
A great flood of the Ginzan River in 1913 swept away almost all the thatched one- and two-storey inns. With little hot water, cold river water seeping in, the spa languished until a hydroelectric plant arrived in 1921 and a 1926 borehole struck abundant hot water. Then every inn rebuilt at once in three- and four-storey Western-influenced timber. The Notoya's main building of about 1925 and the whole present streetscape date from that moment.[1][3]
Oshin, the ordinance, and the crowd caps
Long a remote spa, Ginzan became nationally famous as the setting of the 1983 television drama Oshin. In 1986 the city passed a townscape preservation ordinance, and architect Kengo Kuma later remodelled the Shirogane-yu bath and the Fujiya inn. Winter crowds have grown so heavy that emergency vehicles risk being blocked, so for winter 2026–27 the town runs reserved shuttles from Taisho Roman-kan and caps entry by time slot.[3][1][4]
Going solo
Easy for solo travellersUnconfirmed
Weekend / peak restrictionsUnconfirmed
Where to eat dinnerHalf a dozen places on the association's list: the soba house Izu-no-hana, cafes and a sake shop
Private bathYes
checked 2026-10-09
Through the year
Recommended months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Months open
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
"Recommended" and "open" are recorded separately. Check the season for seasonal springs.
Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar — Snow and gaslight; reserved shuttle and capped numbers. Mine tunnels closed. Hotpot season
May — The mountain opens on Greenery Day (4 May) and the mine path reopens; wild vegetables
Oct · Nov — Autumn-colour walks and mushroom dishes
Jul · Aug — Waterfalls, the stream and the call of kajika frogs; cool walking
Food, culture & experiences
Nobesawa silver mine tunnels
Tunnels of the silver mine opened in 1457; the south and north adits are national historic sites, free to enter from the Omokage-en park path. Closed when snow lies[5][3]
About 15 min on foot from Ginzan Shirogane ParkThree walking routes
Leisurely loop (1.9 km, 90 min), direct to the mine (1.4 km, 60 min), waterfall walk (0.8 km, 20 min)[5]
From the townToichi soba at Izu-no-hana
Soba made with ten parts local buckwheat to one part binder, served with local sake[9]
In townWaraku footbath
A free footbath by the river at the town entrance, fed directly from the source[5]
By Shirogane BridgeEditors' guide
For a day trip, arrive at midday, walk the 20-minute waterfall route, bathe at Shirogane-yu or an inn's day bath, and wait for the gas lamps to come on at dusk. In winter, reserve the shuttle and keep to the river side of the lane. Staying overnight in one of the wooden inns gives you the street to yourself late at night and early morning. For the mine tunnels, come between May and November.
The "editors' guide" above is written by the editors from sources; it is not a visitor's opinion.
Photo gallery
Visitor reviews
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Overview
Ginzan Onsen (銀山温泉) is an onsen (hot spring) area in Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Its name means "silver mine hot spring". Ginzan Onsen's economy grew due to silver mining and production and eventually transitioned to tourism when it opened dozens of hot spring resorts and ryokan along the central river that runs through the town. The mountains that surround this town yield rich hot spring water that is used both in the private hotels and public baths in the city centre. The centre of town is a pedestrian-only district. After nightfall, the bridges and streets are lit by gaslight. In the winter Ginzan Onsen receives heavy snow. On the far side of town a 22-foot waterfall, Shirogane-no-Taki Falls, emerges from the mountains not far from the old silver mine, Nobesawa Ginzan. Internationally, this town saw a sharp rise in foreign tourism thanks to the famous snow-covered sights i
This overview is based on the lead section of the English Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0). View original page
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Unconfirmed & notes
- Shirogane-yu's fee and hours are unconfirmed. Oyu (Kajika-yu) has a fee and hours on the association's walking page, but Wikipedia says it has closed
- Temperatures, the founding period, the 1913 flood details, Kengo Kuma and Oshin are from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); the association also tells the flood and rebuilding story
- Inns' day-bathing, single-guest and water-handling notices are unconfirmed
- Winter 2026–27 shuttle fares and times are provisional, pending final confirmation
Sources
- 歴史と温泉 | 銀山温泉(観光協会)銀山温泉観光案内所 · 2026-10-09
- 銀山の四季 | 銀山温泉銀山温泉観光案内所 · 2026-10-09
- 銀山温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · 2026-10-09
- 2026-2027 冬季交通案内 パーク＆ライド・マイカー規制 | 銀山温泉銀山温泉観光案内所 · 2026-10-09
- 散策 | 銀山温泉銀山温泉観光案内所 · 2026-10-09
- お宿のご紹介 | 銀山温泉銀山温泉観光案内所 · 2026-10-09
- アクセス | 銀山温泉銀山温泉観光案内所 · 2026-10-09
- お宿一覧(13軒) | 銀山温泉銀山温泉観光案内所 · 2026-10-09
- お店 | 銀山温泉銀山温泉観光案内所 · 2026-10-09
Register sources
- 銀山温泉 - Wikipedia(日本語版)Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-10-09
- Wikidata Q5563313Wikidata · CC0 · 2026-10-09
Data status
Name & locationPublishedCoordinatesPublishedSpring typePublishedPhotosPublishedFacilitiesPublishedVisiting info (dated)PublishedEditorial articlePublished
Updated 2026-10-09
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