Things to do in Yamagata Prefecture

My first visit to Ginzan Onsen two years ago was met with a breathtaking blizzard. I was stunned by the beauty but also frozen by the temperature. Although I enjoyed the purest essence of Taisho Romance, the heavy snowfall prevented me from taking many photos, leaving me with only one picture and a lingering regret. This time, I decided to revisit with my camera to recapture those memories. Without the overwhelming snow and bustling crowds, I could better appreciate the retro charm of the place. I finally got to see the waterfall I missed last time, explore the mine I hadn't visited, and browse the small shops I couldn't properly explore before. Ginzan without the snow offered a different kind of serene elegance. This dream-fulfilling trip finally allowed me to make up for that beautiful regret from years ago. A special shout-out to the incredibly generous and delicious set lunch; I even thought it was extravagant. The plating was truly a work of art, and I thank the travel agency for their thoughtfulness.

We took a day trip arranged by the travel agency to Fox Village, Shiroishi Umen Noodles, and Ginzan Onsen. The itinerary was packed but rewarding. Observing the foxes up close at Fox Village was a unique experience, the Shiroishi Umen noodles were refreshing and distinctly local, and the scenery at Ginzan Onsen was charmingly rustic. It was an unforgettable experience combining nature, culture, and delicious food.

Our tour guide for the past two days was Tony, and he took very good care of us. He even gave us small gifts. It was very cold when we went to Ginzan Onsen, and he gave us heat packs. He also gave us heat packs and chocolate on the second day. When we couldn't enter the Fox Village, he found a way for us to go somewhere else. We went to Shiroishi Castle, which was very beautiful and worth a walk and taking some pictures. The driver was also very nice, drove very smoothly, and greeted everyone warmly when getting on and off the bus. We happened to encounter heavy snow when we went to Ginzan Onsen, which was very beautiful. On the second day, we went to the Zao Snow Monsters, and we were incredibly lucky! The weather was very clear. Although we couldn't ride the cable car to the very top because there were too many individual travelers, it was still very beautiful and worth it! I heard that the day before we went, Zao had a big snowstorm and the visibility was very poor, but the weather was clear blue skies today! So lucky~ We stayed at Kamesei Ryokan. The hotel looks very historical, but it's maintained quite cleanly. The rooms are also very large, and the breakfast is rich and delicious, with both traditional Japanese and Western breakfasts. Thank you to the tour guide and driver for their hard work these past two days! 👍

I personally think the overall experience was great however, The part i think need to be looked into is the time allowed for lunch break the highway stop is a little short. Other than that good job to the guide for the arrangement and hospitality.

The one-day shared tour was very convenient, and with a small group, we moved quickly. The driver was very kind and polite, and simple English communication was sufficient. The timing and pace of travel between attractions and free time were managed perfectly!

The driver, who also served as our guide, was very attentive. He contacted us the night before to reconfirm the pick-up location. The nine-seater vehicle was comfortable and not crowded. We were fortunate to see Ginzan covered in heavy snowfall — truly a beautiful and worthwhile experience.

This tour package does not include a guide, only a driver. We had two hours to explore Yamadera, and about 40 minutes for lunch in Tendo, where we bought delicious and inexpensive peaches, along with many Yamagata specialties. In the afternoon, we spent two hours strolling through Ginzan Onsen, enjoyed a foot bath, and ate cold soba noodles. There would have been enough time to experience a day-trip hot spring as well! The private car service was excellent. This day trip wasn't too tiring, making it perfect for those who don't want to drive or switch transportation. We went directly to the scenic spots, which were beautiful and not crowded, making for a comfortable visit.

I booked 2D1N trip to Ginsen Onsen and Mouny Zao via Klook. travel with GogoDay and tour guide Tony Chiu. The driver and Tony are friendly and takes great care everyone. he tried his best to explain things and introduce the places in Chinese, Japanese and English. Also, he is so kind, prepared and provided some warm packs and Japanese sweets for us. Because our group have 50+ mixed with different countries travellers. thank you so much Tony. will strongly recommend this tour to friends and hope we can join your tour group next time!

Thank you, Vincent, for the lesson! A super thorough and gentle explanation and practice of basic skiing concepts and techniques. He pays great attention to safety and tries his best to meet all requests/attempts. He also provides a lot of emotional support (constantly encouraging and praising) 😂. Even with bad weather, the skiing experience was perfect! After our 3-hour lesson, we all had a basic grasp of the snowplow, and we felt like we went from zero to being able to start enjoying skiing!