Ginzan Onsen Accomodation

Hi, i'm wanting to go to Ginzan Onsen and was wondering if anyone could reccomend a good place to stay. Websites? Phone numbers? If not, what is a close city that I could stay in to reach the onsen on a day trip?

The Fujiya is the most famous and most expensive (with an American landlady):
http://www.fujiya-ginzan.com/en_index.html

Here is a list of the other options:
http://www.ginzanonsen.jp/yado06.html

Ginzan Onsen can be reached by 40 min bus from Oishida. But to fully enjoy its beauty, you have to spend a night there, even though accommodation is expensive.

Time of visit is also a major factor. Ginzan Onsen is most beautiful in winter with snow. It is also popular during autumn foliage season, but I have read negative remark of the village being smelly during summer months.

Hi William
Have you been to Ginzan? Are there any eateries along the street of Ginzan?

We are just wondering other than eating in the inn we stayed, where else can we have our meals?

Thanks

Hi Minnie

We will be there mid Feb. 2009.

According to my gathered reference and information from friends who had been there, there are a couple of eateries in the village. Near the foot bath at the entrance of the village, there is tofu shop, opened 8.00-18.00.

On the other end of the village round the bend towards the small waterfall is a 2-story restaurant popular for curry buns and buckwheat soba, opened 9.00-23.00
http://www.meiyuu.com/haikara

Do note that all the ryokans provide 2 meals, supper on the day of arrival and breakfast the next morning.

William

How many days do you intend to stay in Ginzan?

I was wondering if a day trip to Zao will be too packed if I have 2 nights stay at Ginzan?

With such cold weather in winter, 2 meals provided by ryokan is not enough. We have to settle lunch ourselves.

Other than the street, is it possible to venture to the waterfalls?

How do I get there?

Would be great if you could share.

Hi Minnie

The waterfall is round the bend from the village. According to the info. provided below, it is about 20 min round-trip walk from the main street of the village. There is an old silver mine further on where one can have a look, but I do not think it is opened during winter months.
http://www.ginzanonsen.jp/sansaku.html

If you are staying 2 nights there, the restaurant I mentioned before is your best bet for lunch. The tofu shop only provides take-out service.

You must be rich to stay in Ginzan for 2 days! We can only afford 1 night stay there, the following day we are moving on to Zao-san to see the Juhyo snow monsters. To do Zao-san as a day-trip from Ginzan could mean a lot of time spent on travelling alone. It is 40 min bus from Ginzan to Oishida, 30-50 min JR from Oishida to Yamagata, 40 min bus from Yamagata to Zao Onsen, 10 min walk from Zao Onsen bus station to Zao Sanroku Ropeway station, and finally 20-30 min ropeway to Jizo Sancho station at top of the mt. And you have to take into account the frequency of the different modes of transport which may not be readily to go once you arrive.

William

If I stay one night, will I have sufficient time to enjoy the great winter scenery?

Think Zao though is near, considering all the diff mode of transport, it is time consuming.

Where will you be staying at Ginzan? Most of the ryokans are pretty expensive.

The yen has retraced part of its gain..hopefully in the new year, it will be much cheaper in terms of exchange rates.

Ginzan is small, it's just 10 min. walk one end of the street to the other. Plan on arriving in the afternoon and take in the village around dusk, just before the lamps are lit. Time allowed, you can venture all the way to the waterfall. Then after supper, go out for the night scene. Then the next morning, if you can get up early, before breakfast go out again and brave the cold in your yukata to take more photos under natural light. I think that way you can wrap up all you want to see in Ginzan, IMHO.

We have booked Notoya Ryokan, but we may change as Ginzanso comes highly recommended by a friend who had stayed there. We are still struggling whether to pay the extra 4000 yen or so. Like you said, let's hope the yen will go down by next February.