Japan’s Snow Village Ginzan Onsen – We stayed at Luxury Ryokan Fujiya (full tour in 4K)

Japan’s Snow Village Ginzan Onsen – We stayed at Luxury Ryokan Fujiya (full tour in 4K)

Japan’s snow village, Ginzan Onsen has a history of 500 years. We stayed at the luxury ryokan “Fujiya”. Please enjoy. The nearest station to Ginzan Onsen is Oishida Station. Approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo Station. After about 30 minutes by bus from Oishida Station, we will arrive at Ginzan Onsen.

We arrived at Ginzan Onsen around 2 pm. At Ginzan Onsen, the Ginzan River, a tributary of the Mogami River, flows through the center, and wooden ryokans line both banks. Although the weather on this day is rainy, there are many tourists. This time we will be staying at an ryokan called Fujiya (藤屋).

In the past, there was an American blonde landlady who married the seventh generation Fujiya, and the ryokan was featured in a commercial in the 2000s. The blonde landlady’s name is Jeanie Fuji, and she is currently divorced and has returned to the United States.

Fujiya was founded in the Edo period and is said to have a history of 400 years. Let’s go inside Fujiya. Fujiya was renovated into a modern Japanese ryokan in 2006, designed by architect Kengo Kuma. This is a beautiful modern ryokan. The Yamagata Shimbun and Nikkei Shimbun newspapers are located here.

Magazines and books in English and Japanese are available. There is a doll here. The ryokan has three floors. Move between floors by wooden stairs or elevator. Front desk. There are tables and chairs. Rain gear is available for rent. At the front desk… “FUJIYA” is written on the bear’s paw.

“WELCOME GINZAN” is on the other paw. A smoking area is provided. Check-in is at 3 pm and there is still about an hour left. Map of Ginzan Onsen. It’s a small onsen town, so we can easily walk there. Until check-in time, we will kill time at Ginzan Onsen Town.

We are going to a store called Meiyuan (明友庵). Ginzan Onsen’s specialty curry bread is on sale. It’s a small shop. Delicious looking buns are on sale. Watermelon jams are also popular. This is the popular curry bread. Sesame manju with bamboo charcoal. Ginzan Onsen Manju. Looks like a good souvenir. T-shirts and bath salts.

Soba manju. There are many types of manju. Autographs of Japanese entertainers and celebrities are on display. There is also a love fortune teller at the entrance. This red bridge is famous. Now the car is parked and it’s getting in the way. Due to the rain, the river flow is strong.

Next, we will go to a cafe called Crie. Baked cocoa is the most popular. In addition, we can order juices, cocktails, and sweets. There’s a mailbox in a place like this… It looked like a popular cafe, so we waited for about 10 minutes. We are seated on the second floor.

It’s a rainy day, but there’s still some snow left on the roof. Menus include handmade sweets and cafes. The view from the window is nice. Baked cocoa. Six marshmallows sit on top of cocoa with a splash of Irish liqueur.

What we can see nearby is Notoya Ryokan, a ryokan that is a registered tangible cultural property. The car on the red bridge disappeared. The view from here is beautiful. The view is beautiful in the evening and at night, so we will come here again. We will return to the ryokan at 15:00. Check-in.

Welcome drink. Daifuku is an ancient rice from Yamagata Prefecture. We can borrow boots. We will wear these sandals when moving inside the ryokan. Elevator and stairs. Move to the second floor by elevator. The interior is bright and modern, with a lot of light brown wood used. Kaminohayayaki porcelain is on display.

The legendary porcelain that disappeared after just 10 years at the end of the Edo period has been revived in modern times by Kaminohayayaki. It is said to be the oldest porcelain in Yamagata Prefecture. Before taking the room tour, we will take a look at the second floor. World map. Various books.

Fujiya was renovated in 2006 and was designed by architect Kengo Kuma. There are books by Kengo Kuma. There are chairs and books in the back. Many foreigners stay here, and there are several books in English. The outside can be seen through the gaps in the wooden lattice.

The ryokan has a modern Japanese design, but when it was renovated in 2006, it was criticized for “detracting from the scenery of Ginzan Onsen”.’ It is said that the previous blonde landlady was also reluctant to renovate. Currently, there are 8 rooms at Fujiya.

This is the entrance to the room. The design makes it difficult to distinguish from the entrance. Unlock with this key. There is no auto-lock in the room. The room is A200. This is the most expensive room at Fujiya. The room charge is 130,000 yen (880 USD) per night. Bedroom. Entrance door. Ceiling.

This is the toilet. The ryokan was renovated in 2006, so the toilet bowls do not open and close automatically. Comes with a washlet function. The toilet paper is pink. Toilet door and lock. This is the washstand. Phone handsets and tissues. POLA men’s skin care set. POLA ladies skin care set. Combs, toothpastes, razor.

Wash basin. AND・DECO electric kettle. This is···. Tea leaf. Teapot. Koriyama (郡山) teacup. There are various things on the bottom shelf. Safety box. Bath towels. Panasonic hair dryer. Blankets. Towel rack. Hinoki bath. Designed to follow the lines of the body. Shower. POLA body soap, conditioner, and shampoo. Cado humidifier. It has a stylish design.

Light switches and electrical outlets. The shoji on the bedroom window cannot be opened. Ceiling lighting. It also has a stylish design. Closet. It blends in with the design of the room. There is an air conditioner upstairs, but it’s hidden well. A haori to be worn over a yukata

There are 3 switches for the air conditioner. Panasonic standing light. Face and body towels. Tabi. Bag. Obi and yukata. Men’s and women’s colors are different. Refrigerator. Drinks in the fridge are free. A basket that can be used both inside and outside the ryokan. Bed. The mattress is placed directly on the wooden board.

There are no outlets on the bed, only next to the humidifier. Pillows and mattresses are of standard firmness. CORONA oil fan heater. Dining room and living room. Panasonic portable TV remote control. There is only a small portable Panasonic TV.

We can see the cityscape of Ginzan Onsen from the window. There are no curtains, perhaps to not spoil the view from outside. Welcome message. Free Wi-Fi service is available. The spring quality of Ginzan Onsen is written. Go up the stairs to the third floor. There are 5 private baths in the ryokan.

There is one private bath on the third floor. This is a semi-open-air bath called “Tenku”. One wooden bathtub. The spring quality is sodium chloride/sulfate spring. PH 6.6. It is slightly milky in color and has a slight hydrogen sulfide odor. Each private bath has a washing area.

We can see the snowy scenery from the window. Hair bands, shower caps, and cotton swabs are provided. Towels must be brought from the room. It’s now 4:25 p.m. There are many tourists. Map of Ginzan Onsen. Fujiya is located almost in the middle of Ginzan Onsen.

We will walk through the Ginzan Onsen town from end to end. It’s snowing. Surrounded by the Ou Mountains, the land has varying elevations. Downhill. Each ryokan has a parking lot. The bridge we can see over there is Shirogane Bridge. There is a bus stop nearby. This is the tourist information center.

Shirogane Bridge. It is a wide bridge. There is a bus stop near Shirogane Bridge (しろがねはし), which is the entrance to Ginzan Onsen Town. The view from Shirogane Bridge. There is a public bath called Shiroganeyu (open from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm). On the left…

The Nogawa Tofuya. For breakfast, we’ll get boiled tofu made with this tofu. There is a hut where we can take a short break. A footbath is installed along the river. The water is a hot spring and smells like hydrogen sulfide. There is another shop on the left.

Soft-serve ice creams, parfaits, hot drinks, etc. are on sale. There are 12 ryokans at Ginzan Onsen, and the one on the left is a ryokan called Kozankaku (古山閣). On the right is a soba restaurant called “Izu no Hana (伊豆の華)” (business hours 11 am – 7 pm).

If you come for a day trip, many people may eat here. There are ryokans all over the Ginzan Onsen town. On the left is Ryokan Matsumoto, and on the right is Shibataya Ryokan. The river has turned brown due to the rain. Ryokan Kosekiya (古勢起屋). Ryokan Fujiya (藤屋).

This area is almost in the center of Ginzan Onsen. As we go deeper, we will arrive at a place that resembles the world of the Ghibli movie “Spirited Away”. Notoya Ryokan (能登屋旅館) and the red bridge in front of it.

It is said that the atmosphere around here is similar to the oil shop in “Spirited Away”. This is around the cafe where we came during the day. The view of the red bridge from here is beautiful. I’m looking forward to the night. Ginzan Onsen Town continues further into the area. Found a shop.

The store is called Yagihashi Shoten (八木橋商店). In the town of Ginzan Onsen, we basically pay by cash, but we can use PayPay here. Local alcohol, pickles, and sweets are sold here. It looks like it would be a good idea to buy souvenirs here. We’ve come a long way. There is a kokeshi workshop.

This hut is… Old photos of Ginzan Onsen are on display. It is said to be a very old hut. Onsen daughter (温泉むすめ) Koyuki Ginzan (銀山心雪). This is the image character of Ginzan Onsen. Old footage of Ginzan Onsen is being played. Ginzan Onsen Miss Monochrome. This is an anime character.

Ginzan Onsen has a history of 500 years. The Onsen town was destroyed by the great flood of 1913. But, with the help of the local business community, it was revived and became the hot spring town it is today. A restaurant called “Shirogane”. A variety of lunch menus, alcohol menus, cafe menus, etc.

If you come to Ginzan Onsen for a day trip, you can eat here. Yamagata beers (山形ビール). There is a small waterfall. Another red bridge. There is a soba restaurant at the end of the bridge. Shirogane Park. The snow scenery is beautiful. On this day, the red bridge is covered with something like vinyl.

The river flow is tremendous on this day. Although we visited in January, the locals said that it is rare for it to rain this much. Around 5 pm in the evening. The lights begin to come on little by little in the Ginzan Onsen town.

The number of people taking photos on the red bridge has increased. I feel like there are the most tourists during this time. There are many Chinese and Taiwanese group visitors. This is in front of Fujiya. The area under the bridge is lit up.

When we look at Fujiya from the outside, we can see quite a bit inside the room. The view from the bridge in front of Fujiya is also beautiful. Return to Fujiya. Let’s take a look at the remaining four private baths. The inside of the ryokan is quite dark. Hiba bath.

The floors and walls are all made of wood. Amenities such as hair ties and shower caps. It has a washing area and bathtub. There is no need to make a reservation for the private bath, and we can use it freely if it is vacant. Stone bath. All amenities are the same.

The bath uses black stones, giving it a powerful feel. Wood is used for the ceiling. On to the next private bath. Bamboo bath. Steam is rising, and the temperature of the hot spring seems to be higher than other hot springs.

Bamboo is used for the walls and ceiling, giving the bath a nice atmosphere. Washing place. Underground bath. It is said that a new bath was built in the same place where Fujiya’s bath had been for a long time. This bathroom is the only one located underground. It’s almost like a stone bath.

Each of the five private baths had a different flavor, and all were good. There is no public bath, but five private baths are sufficient. There are only 8 rooms, so it’s almost never crowded. A view of the second floor at night. Light brown wood gives a clean impression.

We tried using Cado’s humidifier, and it’s stylish. Drink menu. First of all, Yamagata sakes. Shochus, wines, beers, sparkling chardonnay. The rest is soft drinks. I can’t say that there are many types of drinks. It’s dark outside, but there are still people. Dinner menu. First of all, the amount of food was large.

Wine from Yamagata Prefecture. Walnut tofu. Asazuki. kumquat. Grilled shrimp, namafu dengaku, and boiled abalone shellfish. Roast beef. Cucumber. A chopstick rest is provided on the wooden tray. Soup. Contains chicken and crab. Assorted seafood. Squid, tuna, sea bass, abalone, and shrimp. The abalone came out again. The shrimp are delicious. Yuan-yaki silver cod.

Shiso roll, Hajikami. Savory egg custard. Contains ingredients such as shrimp. Duck pot. I feel like it’s rare for duck meat to be served at a ryokan. It had a lot of ingredients and was all delicious. Served with Obanazawa beef steak, vegetables, and Japanese sauce. It’s a fatty steak.

Wild vegetable yuzu soba (handmade soba). Soba noodles are served instead of white rice. Fruits and tea. The food was plentiful and left me full. We are going to see what Ginzan Onsen looks like at night.

There are a few people even at night. It seems that they are guests of another inn. The view from the bridge in front of Fujiya is beautiful. The ryokan itself may look beautiful because it’s not snowing. Let’s go to the red bridge. Notoya Ryokan and Red Bridge.

Many people take pictures here, probably because it’s said to resemble the oil shop in Spirited Away. At night, the red bridge stands out even more due to the surrounding light. We recommend taking photos here. Return to Fujiya.

Amenities have a simple design. Although it is an old ryokan, I was impressed by the fact that they have a skin care set. Even in the middle of the night, Ginzan Onsen was not completely dark and there were lights on somewhere.

Around 8 am the next morning. When I looked outside, people were already walking. We can choose breakfast between 8:00 and 8:30. Tea. Natto. Boiled food. Kinpira. Onsen eggs. Miso soup. Soy sauce. Grilled salmon. Dressing and salad. Pickles. Yogurt. White rice. Yudofu from a tofu shop in the Ginzan Onsen town.

Both dinner and breakfast were good. Finally, a morning bath. It’s good onsen. We are currently on the 3rd floor, but the building itself appears to be 4 stories tall. Check out. The fee is 130,000 yen (88o USD). Check-out time is 10 am, and the shuttle bus to Oishida Station departs at 10:30 am.

There was no rain on this day, and the river flow was calmer than the previous day. A footbath is also installed on the bridge in front of Fujiya. We are going to buy souvenirs. The color of the river is slightly different depending on whether it is a rainy day or a sunny day.

I will buy some steamed buns at Meiyuan and go home. I was satisfied with my stay at Fujiya. The food was delicious, and the five private baths and rooms were also nice. Fujiya is the most expensive of the ryokans in Ginzan Onsen, so the price may be the only problem.

Although there seems to have been some criticism that the Fujiya ruins the scenery of Ginzan Onsen, I personally feel that it blends in well with the town. However, Fujiya has a modern Japanese design, so it may not be recommended for those who prefer a good old Japanese ryokan. Arrival at Oishida Station.

There is also a small shop at the station where wecan buy souvenirs. A few Ginzan Onsen goods are on sale. Yamagata fruit juice and cider. Bath salts etc. The train departs at 11:31 am for Tokyo and returns on the Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa.

We have posted video of riding the Yamagata Shinkansen in the past, so please take a look. Yamagata Shinkansen enters the line. Green car (Business Class). Feparture. Fried manju that I bought at Meiyuan. It takes 3 hours and 17 minutes from Oishida Station to Tokyo Station. Thank you for your viewing.

We stayed at Fujiya, a luxury ryokan in Ginzan Onsen, Yamagata Prefecture, in Japan’s snow village. I made a video of walking around Ginzan Onsen and staying at the ryokan “Fujiya”.

■Related video
Riding Japan’s Bullet Train “Yamagata Shinkansen” from Tokyo to Ginzan Onsen

■Hotel information
Hotel name: Fujiya
Address: 443 Ginzan Shinbata, Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture 999-4333
Opening: Edo period
Major renovation: 2006
Number of rooms: 8 rooms
Access: Take the JR Yamagata Shinkansen and get off at Oishida Station, about 25 minutes by car
Official website: https://www.fujiya-ginzan.com/

■Table of contents
00:00 Welcome to Ginzan Onsen and the luxury ryokan “Fujiya”
00:18 Move from Oishida Station to Ginzan Onsen
01:00 Ryokan “Fujiya” exterior/lobby
03:16 Meiyuan (Curry bread/Manju)
05:06 Crie (Baked cocoa)
06:59 Check-in
09:42 Room tour
16:25 Private bath 1
17:43 Ginzan Onsen Map
18:07 Stroll around Ginzan Onsen
25:16 Ginzan Onsen in the evening
26:35 Private bath 2-5
29:37 Dinner
33:30 Ginzan Onsen at night
35:12 Sleep and wake up
35:50 Breakfast
37:38 Check out/Charge details
37:54 Ginzan Onsen in the morning
39:00 Shinkansen from Oishida Station to Tokyo Station

#ginzanonsen #hotspring #japan #onsen #hotspring #ryokan #onsenryokan

———–

日本の豪雪地帯にある山形県・銀山温泉の高級旅館「藤屋」に宿泊。銀山温泉の街歩きや旅館「藤屋」の宿泊の様子を動画にしました。

■ホテル情報
ホテル名：藤屋
住所：〒999-4333 山形県尾花沢市銀山新畑443
開業：江戸時代
大規模改装：2006年
部屋数：8室
アクセス：JR山形新幹線で大石田駅下車、車にて約25分
公式サイト：https://www.fujiya-ginzan.com/

#銀山温泉 #藤屋 #温泉 #温泉旅館 #旅館 #山形