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The
town of Ginzan Onsen
Each
building is elaborately decorated. |
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The Ginzan Onsen hot springs quietly sits in the gorge where
the Ginzan River flows. A forty-minute bus ride from the Oishida
Station on the Yamagata Shinkansen line, by way of Obanazawa,
a city famous for its watermelons, will take the visitors to
this onsen town.
At their first sight of the town, visitors would likely feel
as if they had slipped back in time to the past. The inns lining
the street are three- or four-story wooden structures built
at the beginning of the 1900s and look much like a nostalgic
film set. Superb handiwork by the craftsmen of those days can
be seen on each building, such as walls painted with the inn's
trade names, sliding door cases bearing intricately painted
designs, elaborately made lattice doors and plaster carving.
Each is unique and tempts tourists to stop and have a closer
look.
Ginzan Onsen once thrived as a silver mine town. The name Ginzan
or "mountain with silver" was given approximately
500 years ago, when a silver vein was first struck. Once counted
among the three major silver mines of Japan, the silver mine
has been designated as a national historic site. Taking a 20-minute
walk from the Ginzan Onsen town and standing before the lit-up
remains of the former silver mine, visitors will find their
minds wandering back into the past.
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The Shirogane waterfalls can be found slightly upstream. The
water cascading down from a height of 22 meters is a magnificent
sight. Long and short walking paths, ranging from 20 to 60 minutes,
stretch from the waterfall into various directions, offering
hikers a choice to suit their preference. In addition to basking
in the woods and walking through the beautiful ravine and ponds,
there is another option of visiting the Yamanokami Shrine, popular
among the locals as the god blessing couples so that they may
have children and promising a good relationship between husband
and wife.
The streets are lined with appealing shops that match the town's
appearance. A variety of food is available-hot fried bread filled
with curry sauce, buns with sweetened green or black bean paste
filling, steamed sweet buns with soybean paste flavoring, and
even pickled cucumber during the summer season. All are appetizing
and make us want to try them all. One of the most unique dishes
offered is fresh made tofu, which is served right in front of
the shop.
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Little
remains of the past glory of the silver mine. |
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Warming
their feet in the Warashi-yu footbath by the Ginzan River, tourists
enjoy conversing with each other. |
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There are two public footbaths, Warashi-yu and Shirogane-yu,
at the end of the town. Looking down on the river below while
soaking your feet in the warm water is a relaxing experience,
so travelers will want to indulge in pleasant conversation.
A stay at this onsen town, where time seems to have stopped
a century ago, will allow us to detach ourselves from our busy
everyday lives. In addition to the fresh green in spring and
the red and yellow leaves in autumn, the snow-covered Ginzan
offers a breathtaking view.
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