A hot spring town of wooden inns and gas lamps
Ginzan Onsen is a hot spring village in the mountains of Yamagata, in northern Japan, where wooden inns three and four stories tall, built about a century ago, face each other across a narrow river. Warm up in the public bath or a footbath, snack on fresh tofu as you walk, and wait for dusk, when gas lamps come on along the river. It is about three and a half hours from Tokyo by shinkansen and bus, so most people stay the night; in winter, day visits have limits, so check the official site first.
A public bath in the middle of the village, in a tall, narrow wooden building with lattice walls. You can soak here without staying at an inn and without booking. It closes before evening, so bathe first and then go out to see the lamps.
A tofu shop near the entrance to the village, where you eat freshly made tofu or thick fried tofu at the shop front, a simple snack to carry along the river. It can sell out by late afternoon, so stop by early.
A free footbath by the river, where you sit with your feet in hot spring water and look across at the row of wooden inns. It is a good place to rest with your tofu; bring a small towel to dry your feet.
A 22-meter waterfall pouring down at the far end of the village, about 8 minutes on foot along the river. The path is icy in winter, so wear shoes with a good grip.
A visitor center just before the village, with souvenir shops and a restaurant serving soba. In winter, day visitors who come by car park here and ride a shuttle bus, which needs booking, into the village.