Ginzan Onsen

Located in Obanazawa, this onsen town is famous across the country. The banks of the Ginzan River are lined with Western-style multi-story wooden onsen inns that were built during the late Taisho Period to the early Showa Period and filled with a nostalgic atmosphere. It is said that the NHK serial TV drama Oshin, broadcast in 1983, and the Studio Ghibli movie Spirited Away were set here.
The town flourished as an onsen spot in the mid-Edo Period. But after an enormous supply of hot spring water was discovered by boring with a drilling machine during the late Taisho Period to the Showa Period, all the ryokan in the area were renovated into Western-style multi-story wooden buildings. One of the inns is in fact designated as a national cultural property.
Many of the lodgings offer bathing services for day visitors, so you can casually indulge in the hot springs where flower petals dance about on clear, soft waters. The onsen town also features foot baths called Warashiyu, where the seats are arranged so you can gaze across the townscape, and the very modern communal bath called Shiroganeyu.
In addition, there are many sightseeing spots such as ”Silver Mine” that you can enter free of charge and ”Shirogane no Taki Waterfall” standing 22 meters high. In the onsen town full of tasteful vibes, you will want to enjoy the nostalgic scenery of the after-dark town with glowing gas lamps and the snowy townscape in winter.”