Ginzan Onsen

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About Ginzan Onsen

Ginzan Onsen is a small hot-spring village in the Ginzan River valley, in the municipality of Obanazawa, about 15 km from the city center. The name, “silver-mine hot springs,” comes from the Nobesawa mine, which operated high in the valley between the 15th and 17th centuries. When the mine ran out, the hot springs the miners used began to attract visitors seeking cures.

A flood in the early 20th century destroyed much of the village, and the inns were rebuilt in the 1910s and 1920s, at the end of the Taisho era and the start of the Showa era. They are three- and four-story wooden buildings with verandas, thin-framed glass windows, white plaster walls and, in some cases, decorative plaster reliefs made by local artisans. They line a pedestrian street about 300 meters long on both sides of the river.

The street is pedestrian-only and has public foot baths, small shops and two public bathhouses, one in a contemporary wooden-and-glass building. At dusk the gas lanterns are lit and the ryokan windows glow — the view that made the village famous. In winter, snow piles on roofs and bridges.

At the end of the street, Shirogane Falls drops about 22 meters and marks the start of the trail up to the old mine. The village is small and attracts many daytime visitors; therefore, in recent winters it has adopted rules for cars and early-evening visits. Staying overnight in one of the few ryokan is the most peaceful way to experience it.