No opening hours or admission are shown: the sources we checked on 2026-09-13 were used for the route only. Check the official site
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Our guide
Ginzan Onsen — “silver mine hot spring” — grew rich on silver and then turned to tourism, with inns and baths lining the river that runs through the middle of the town. The centre is for pedestrians only; after dark the bridges and streets are lit by gaslight, and in winter the town is deep in snow. At the far end of town, not far from the old Nobesawa silver mine, the Shirogane-no-Taki waterfall comes down from the mountains.
It takes some getting to. By rail, take the Yamagata Shinkansen to Ōishida, a bus to Obanazawa, then another bus of about 40 minutes to Ginzan Onsen; from Sendai, a limited-express bus runs to Obanazawa. If you are driving, never take Prefectural Road 29 from Murayama — it is an extremely narrow mountain road — and note that Route 347 from Furukawa closes in winter.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Evening twilight in Ginzan Onsen town January 2022 A — さかおり · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- 銀山温泉共同浴場1980年頃Img314 — Akiyoshi's Room · Public domain · source · resized
- Senshin-kyou Mountain Stream — おにく · CC0 · source · resized
- Notoya Ryokan in January 2022 A — さかおり · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Nobusawa-silver-mine-IMG20251229132343 — メルビル · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
- Nobusawa-silver-mine-IMG20251229132208 — メルビル · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
- Ginzan onsen Asiyu — Crown of Lenten rose · Public domain · source · resized
- Ginzan onsen 2009A — Crown of Lenten rose · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
- Ginzan Onsen in autumn 2018 — 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Ginzan Onsen Takimi Bridge — ブルーノ・プラス · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
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.
Visitor information checked: 2026-09-13 · Ginzan Onsen: access
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Hot spring
Getting there by public transport
- Yamagata Shinkansen line: from Yamagata about 40 minutes to Ōishida, bus about 15 minutes to Obanazawa, then change for a bus of about 40 minutes to Ginzan Onsen.
- From Sendai: limited express bus for Shinjō, about 2 hours to Obanazawa, then the bus of about 40 minutes.
- By car, never use Prefectural Road 29 from Murayama (an extremely narrow mountain road); Route 347 from Furukawa is closed in winter.
Route checked: 2026-09-13 · Ginzan Onsen: access · Timetables change — check the operator before you travel.
Stay the night
An onsen town is at its best in the evening and early morning, after the day visitors have gone.
Hotels near Ginzan Onsen on Agoda
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