Visiting Yamagata in winter is like being immersed in a fairytale. Easily accessible from Tokyo thanks to the Shinkansen, its main tourist attractions are Ginzan Onsen, Dewa Sanzan and Yamadera, as well as the so-called snow monsters of Zao Onsen, a place famous for its hot springs and ski resort. If you love the snow and want to experience a different kind of holiday in one of the most beautiful places in the Tohōku region, Yamagata in winter will leave you open-mouthed.
How to get to Yamagata
The fastest and most convenient way to get to Yamagata Prefecture from Tokyo is by bullet train on the Yamagata Shinkansen line (Tsubasa trains). The journey time from Tokyo Station to the prefectural capital, Yamagata, is about two and a half hours and without a Japan Rail Pass will cost between ¥1,000 and ¥13,000 (between €65 and €75 per person). If you’ve decided to travel to this remote part of the Tohoku region, you’ll probably want to explore other prefectures or even take the train to Hokkaido. In this case we recommend purchasing the South Hokkaido Rail Pass which costs around €200 per person and allows you to travel around Tōhoku and southern Hokkaido for 6 consecutive days.
Yamagata is also easily accessible by train from Sendai in the east and from Niigata and Akita in the west.
Getting around Yamagata prefecture
If you like regional trains in Japan, Yamagata offers some spectacular journeys amid mountains and great plains. It’s especially good to travel in winter when the entire prefecture is snowed in and the scenery becomes a Christmas tableau. Even so, you’ll still need to take buses to some of the towns and special places in the area, so don’t travel in a hurry and don’t try to cover too many destinations in one day as transport is not as fast and frequent as in the Kanto or Kansai areas.
What to see in winter in Yamagata
Yamadera 山寺
One of Asiahop’s favourite places in Japan. Visiting this temple in winter is a real fantasy. Yamadera literally means Mountain Temple although its official name is Risshaku-ji. Founded in 860 by the monk Ennin of the Tendai school of Buddhism, it is built into the side of a rocky mountain, offering a unique experience, both spiritual and scenic. To reach the top of the temple you have to climb 1,015 stone steps, a path surrounded by nature that symbolises the process of purification. One of the highlights is the Godaidō Pavilion, a wooden viewing platform perched on the rock that offers a breathtaking view of the Yamagata Valley.
Although we recommend a visit in winter when the landscape is completely covered in snow, each season of the year gives it a different character, such as the flowering in spring or the reddish colours of the momiji in autumn. To get there from Yamagata city, you can take the JR Senzan line to Yamadera station, a journey of about an hour, and from there walk about 10 minutes to the entrance. The visit costs around ¥300 for adults (less than €2) and is open all year round. Although it is not too physically demanding, you should be used to the steep climbs, and it is advisable to be well prepared depending on the time of year. At certain times of the winter you will need crampons on your shoes to grip the ice on the stairs (these can be bought in the shops near the resort).
Dewa Sanzan 出羽三山
The Three Mountains of Dewa is a sacred ensemble consisting of Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan and Mount Yudono and has been revered for centuries as a spiritual centre of shugendō, an ascetic practice that blends Buddhism, Shinto and mountain beliefs. Each elevation represents a stage of life: Haguro symbolises the present, Gassan the past and Yudono rebirth. The easiest access is to Mount Haguro, home to the majestic five-storey pagoda (Gojūnotō), a National Treasure, and a path of more than 2,400 stone steps flanked by ancient giant cedars. Gassan, accessible only in summer due to snow, offers hiking trails and alpine scenery, while Yudono is considered the most sacred.
The complex is deeply spiritual and was an important place of pilgrimage, where even the samurai came to purify themselves. To visit Dewa Sanzan is to connect with nature, history and Japanese spirituality in its purest form.
Ginzan Onsen 銀山温泉
Ginzan Onsen is one of the most picturesque hot spring towns in Japan. It is located in a mountain valley and its name literally means Silver Mountain Hot Spring, a reference to an ancient silver mine discovered in the area during the Edo period. Today it is famous for its traditional multi-storey wooden ryokan with onsen, which line both sides of a narrow river, creating a particularly magical nostalgic atmosphere at nightfall, when lanterns illuminate the street. It is said that it was the Ginzan Onsen spas that inspired the location for Studio Gibhli’s film Spirited Away.
Although the beauty of the place is undeniable, it is a very small village and tends to have many tourists all year round, so we recommend that you stay overnight (you have to book well in advance) in order to appreciate the beauty of the place with fewer people and to be able to explore its streets and the surrounding nature in peace and quiet. After five in the afternoon, you are only allowed to stay in the village if you are staying overnight. To get to this fairytale village you’ll need to get on a train heading north in the prefecture and get off at the Ōishida stop, from where you’ll catch a bus which takes just over half an hour to get there and costs around €6 each way.
Zao Onsen 蔵王温泉
Zao Onsen is a famous hot spring and ski resort known for its healing hot springs and spectacular mountain scenery. Zao Onsen Ski Resort is one of Japan’s most iconic winter destinations, offering a wide variety of activities for all levels, from beginners to experts, with a total of 14 slopes and 12 runs, totalling approximately 50 km of skiable terrain.
Here we can find one of Yamagata Prefecture’s most famous attractions, the snow monsters, trees covered in ice and snow that create ghostly figures during the winter. In addition to its traditional hot springs, Zao Onsen has hiking trails and cable cars for panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. It is an ideal place for those looking to combine wellness with outdoor activities in a stunning natural setting.
Want to travel this winter to one of Japan’s hidden paradises? Contact us and we will design the perfect experience for an unforgettable trip.
Image credit: 家豪 陳 (Zao Onsen) and Dennis P (Dewa Sanzan) on Pexels.