Coisas para fazer em Prefeitura de Yamagata

Two years ago, my first visit to Ginzan Onsen was met with a breathtaking blizzard. I was stunned by the beauty and frozen by the temperature. Although I enjoyed the purest sentiments 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 those memories with my camera. Without the overwhelming white snow and bustling crowds, I could better appreciate the retro charm of the place. I made up for everything I missed last time: the waterfall, the mine I hadn't explored, and the small shops I couldn't browse thoroughly. Ginzan without snow offered a quiet elegance, and this dream-fulfilling trip finally completed the beautiful regret from years ago. A special commendation goes to the incredibly rich and delicious set lunch; I even thought it was extravagant. It was truly a beautiful plating art, and I thank the travel agency for their thoughtfulness.

We joined a day tour arranged by a travel agency to Fox Village, Shiroishi Umen Noodles, and Ginzan Onsen. The itinerary was packed but enriching. Observing foxes up close at Fox Village was very special, Shiroishi Umen Noodles were refreshing and had local characteristics, and Ginzan Onsen offered charming, rustic scenery. It was an unforgettable experience combining nature, culture, and delicious food.

Our tour guide for these two days was Tony, who took great care of us and even gave us small gifts. It was very cold at Ginzan Onsen, and he gave us hand warmers. On the second day, we also received hand warmers and chocolates. When we couldn't enter the Fox Village, he found an alternative for us, and we went to Shiroishi Castle, which was beautiful and worth a stroll and some photos. The driver was also excellent, driving very smoothly and always greeting everyone kindly when getting on and off the bus. This trip to Ginzan Onsen coincided with heavy snowfall, which was incredibly beautiful. On the second day, we visited Zao Juhyo (snow monsters), and we were incredibly lucky with the weather, which was perfectly clear. Although we couldn't take the cable car to the very top due to too many individual tourists, it was still very beautiful and worthwhile! We heard that the day before we went, Zao had a blizzard with very poor visibility, but on the day we visited, the sky was clear and sunny! We were very fortunate. We stayed at Kameya Hotel, which looked historic but was well-maintained and quite clean. The room was also very spacious, and the breakfast was abundant and delicious, offering both traditional Japanese and Western options. A big thank you to our guide and driver for their hard work these two days! 👍

I personally think the overall experience was great, however, the part I think needs to be looked into is the time allowed for the 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 is very convenient, and with fewer people, we moved quickly. The driver was very kind and polite, and simple English communication was also possible. 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.

素晴らしいドライバーで、とても親切でした。朝の集合場所も分かりやすく、降車場所も便利でした。手間のかからない日帰り旅行をしたい方や、運転しない方には強くお勧めします。*注意* 蔵王ロープウェイの乗車は保証されていません。私たちが到着した午前10時頃には、すでに120分待ちの行列でした！次の目的地（銀山温泉）へ向かうための再集合時間は午後1時30分でした。リスクを冒す価値があるか？分かりません。なので、よく考えてください。

Thanks to Vincent for the lesson! He explained and demonstrated the basic concepts and techniques of skiing with great detail and patience. Throughout the process, he prioritized safety and tried his best to accommodate all requests/attempts. He also provided immense emotional support (constantly encouraging and praising) 😂, making the skiing experience perfect even with bad weather! After our 3-hour lesson, we all initially mastered the falling leaf technique and felt like we went from zero to being able to start enjoying skiing!