Ginzan onsen and Yamagata pref

I was wondering if anyone can recommend any places in Yamagata Prefecture.

I would very much like to visit Ginzan Onsen since the photographs look gorgeous. Has anyone been there? Are there any attractions in the area? The impression I get is that picturesque it is, it is a small place with not much to do, so maybe one night is enough.

The other place is yamadera, which i will certainly check out.

What I was also wondering is, since this is likely to be a two-night trip, if anyone can recommend another place to stay in the area, perhaps a picturesque town with many temples.

Thanks!

Ginzen Onsen is indeed small. You can walk from one end to the other in 10 min, so 1 night stay is enough even if you don't mind the high accommodation cost. The time of visit has some bearings too. We were there in winter and had a memorable stay with the lovely snow scenery. A friend went during autumn and loved the autumn foliage. But we have read report of the place being smelly and hot during summer.

Going winter time another highlight in Yamagata Prefecture is Zao Onsen from where you can go to see the unique snow monsters. Outside winter months Dewa Sanzan is considered a pilgrimage place by the people of Japan. Yama-dera is definitely worth going especially during fall for autumn foliage, but you do not need to stay overnight there.

If you are not confined to Yamagata Prefecture, not far from Ginzen Onsen is Naruko which is worthwhile for its beautiful gorge and onsen. Or for temple and shrine even further north to Hiraizumi where you can visit Motsu-ji, Takkoku-no-Iwaya and most importantly Chuson-ji which is said to be Japan's first designated national treasure.

http://www.yamagatakanko.com/english/index.html

I have been twice to Ginzan and stayed in ryokan called Showa-Kan. Website http://www.shouwakan.net/ . It is only in Japanese but I was able to make reservations on line.

There is another ryokan (Fujiya) operated by an American woman married to a Japanese but it is very expensive. Website for Fujiya is http://www.fujiya-ginzan.com/ and it is in Japanese and English.

It depends on what you want to do. I went there to relax so I stayed there two nights. In autumn, there is no snow so you can hike but in spring there might be some left over snow in the trails. As someone said, you can walk from one end of town to the other end in 5-10 minutes and you might get bored.

Another thing. To get to Ginzan, you need to get off at Oishida train station and take a bus (690 yen) to Ginzan, which takes about 35 minutes. You need to cross the train tracks (overhead pass) to the other side to catch the bus. Website for the bus schedule (only in Japanese) is http://www.city.obanazawa.yamagata.jp/2630.html .
There is also a delicious soba restaurant at the Oishida train station.

I went to Ginzan Onsen in the Summer and can confirm it's not a great time to go from a scenery point of view. The foliage was all green and pretty boring.

The only places to explore are the town (very small) and a bit of a walking area and some caves up a hill at the back of town (20 minutes of exploration max). I didn't find the bathing particularly fantastic either, but that is mostly down to the fact I prefer to go to less touristy Onsen towns and places with open air pools without an ugly hotel around them.

If your holiday revolves around Yamagata, then it's probably the only choice you have, other than Zao Onsen (http://www.zao-spa.or.jp/english/index.html) which I've never been to and can't comment on.

Went to Zao Onsen last Feb to see snow monsters and it's beautiful in winter. We stayed at Pension Candle. I have a link for accommodation in Zao Onsen on my PC if you need it (currently on phone browser in Japan, but home soon).

Thanks everyone, much appreciated. I take it then that Ginzan is at its best with snow scenery, which is indeed are the photos that made me want to go.

I'm going on the last weekend of March - I was hoping that the snow scenery would still be there but perhaps I may be pushing my luck. The Zao Onsen page on this site lists the skiing season as lasting until May, but only until 21 March in 2012, which adds to the confusion re snow.

I'm not actually limited to Yamagata - the plan is for two nights in Tohoku in general, using public transport. My ideal onsen I have in my mind is in the mountains or overlooking a gorge with atmospheric buildings, so Ginzan seemed to fit the bill, hence I was trying to narrow it down to Yamagata, but perhaps there are better options in the rest of Tohoku if I expand my scope outside Yamagata. Does anyone have any suggestions?

It's my first time to Tohoku so I want to make the most out of it, and everyone's being a great help. Thanks again!

Indeed no one can forecast the unpredictable weather these days but I think you stand a very good chance of seeing snow even at the end of March in Ginzan Onsen. I just saw on TV this morning that Niigata Prefecture is experiencing a heavy snowfall and what seemed to be a local JR train was almost buried in snow. There were fatal incidents that extend up north to Akita Prefecture. I would be very surprised if Yamagata Prefecture is any different. If the situation prevails your worry rather than not being able to see snow is whether access and transport will be affected by it. Hopefully it will improve by March. From past statistic in and around Yamagata snow will indeed ease off during the latter part of March as can be seen from last year record in the following.
http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/daily_s1.php?prec_no=35&...

Have you looked into accommodation in Ginzan Onsen yet!? You better do so ASAP as the place is very popular during winter. We booked more than 3 months in advance and our first choice was full already. BTW, most of the ryokans will provide free shuttle pick up service to and from Oishida. Some even have a slight bonus of stopping by a place that looks like a sanctuary for duck and swan. A friend went a few years back could actually feed them. When we were there we could only get down and take photos.
https://picasaweb.google.com/WilliamCWP512/Tohoku#5704356334509230018
https://picasaweb.google.com/WilliamCWP512/Tohoku#5307469413732239362

A word about visiting Yama-dera during winter time. If there is snow the steep climb up the steps could be very slippery especially if it has been walked on making the snow turned hard into ice. At the bottom of the steps there are walking sticks and dry straws (to tie around the shoes to increase friction) provided free of charge, just be sure to arrive early to make sure they are still available.

Tohoku has so much to offer that it is hard to single out a place for just another additional overnight stay. If you want some rough ideas of Tohoku take a look at the following thread.
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+59499

If Naruko Gorge and Hiraizumi I mentioned earlier do not interest you and history is your preference, consider Aizu-Wakamatsu especially if you are into samurai. A first time visit to Tohoku should not miss Sendai which is the gateway to the region. And one of the (if not THE) top attractions is scenic Matsushima which is an easy side trip from Sendai.

Nyuto Onsen.