Prefeitura de Miyagi

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! 👍

From the moment we placed our order, a Chinese-speaking coordinator communicated with us in detail about the itinerary, and we were even able to make changes a few days before. On the day of the trip, although the driver was Japanese, he was very experienced and could speak simple Chinese, so communication was smooth. The tour concluded successfully.

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.

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!

We arrived early to the bus stop and had already received a helpful message from our tour guide Yoshi on Whatsapp. We boarded the bus and had Yoshi guide us to the Zao Fox Village and Ginzan Onsen. There were some last minute changes but he explained everything and we had a great day visiting the local prefecture and neighbouring areas. The food was great, the stories Yoshi provided and English translation was great. We visited what we wanted and had a great day. Thank you to Yoshi and our professional driver for making this a great day! Arigato Gozaimasu!

It was a beautiful trip and definitely worth booking. It was an amazing experience and one we will remember for life. Our tour guide Jud was extremely helpful and everything you would ever want as a tour guide. He was kind, respectful, accommodating, and most of all organized. He was able to guide such a large group of people so well and still kept the experience personal. We will definitely be recommending this to all of our friends. Shout out to Jud!!

The journey from Tokyo to Yamagata takes four hours, but there are short breaks in between, so it's not too tiring. Our guide, Mr. Ma, arranged the itinerary excellently. Yamagata boasts beautiful scenery, and this tour covered all the major attractions in one go. The hotel's half-board (dinner and breakfast) was also plentiful, and there was a good hot spring. The only drawback was that the tour bus was a bit small; it would have been perfect if it were a larger coach.