In February 2020, we paid a trip to Ginzan Onsen in Yamagata prefecture in Japan.
Ginzan Onsen is a traditional Japanese spa town and one of the inspirations for the Studio Ghibli film, “Spirited Away”, directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
We braved the hottest footbaths known to man, saw an accident waiting to happen, watched a ceremonial Setsubun fire, and stayed at a traditional Japanese inn, or ryokan, and tried a kaiseki ryori dinner for the first time!
The best way of getting to Ginzan Onsen by public transport is to get the bullet train from Tokyo to Oishida. There are also trains from Sendai and Akita. To get to the town from Oishida, you can get on a public bus, or a shuttle bus if your hotel provides one.
It’s worth staying overnight, partly because it’s out of the way, but also because you get to enjoy the town all lit up, especially pretty in the snow! The ryokan we stayed at is called Ginzansou.
AloJapan.com