Yamagata days: Ginzan Onsen
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“Ginzan Onsen, (Ginzanshinhata, Obanazawa-shi, Yamagata) is huddled along the banks of the Ginzan River. The snow covers the buildings with it organic flows, sculptural and delicate in the fading light”.
The snow is falling heavily as we arrive at Ginzan Onsen, there are metres of it everywhere. For me these are memories of an Alpine childhood all those years ago in Carinthia.
In Yamagata once more, we arrive from Tokyo at Oishida Station by Shinkansen, the journey takes about two and a half hours, the train is not perturbed by the snow conditions and delivers its passengers on time. As the train departs the station through its deep cut in the snow we can’t help noticing that the platform opposite to ours is covered in about two meters of snow.
The snow lays deep on the roofs of the buildings, ever a challenge because it is snowing hard, the snow on the rooftops growing ever deeper.
A team of snow shovelers work precariously on rooftop edge, skilfully removing the two metre deep snow that could eventually crush the roof. This is a continual process in the winter time and a dangerous business in the slippery rooftop conditions.
From time to time we hold our breath as a large chunk of snow, which could so easily take one of our snow shovelers with it, is loosened and tumbles from the roof, there is a distant thud as the snow hits the path below. Unfazed by the danger of this operation one man lights a cigarette, once lit he begins to shovel again.
The long glass like icicles skirt the buildings and play with the lights from the gas lamps.
Small bridges cross the river at regular intervals. The steep banks surrounding Ginzan Onsen are also deep in snow, an occasional pathway shovelled through its deepness takes you away from the buildings and into a white world.
The snowflakes are heavier now and blur the figures of other visitors.
The magic of this place is that the water in the river below us is not cold, from deep in the ground the hot water provides the warmth that most people come to enjoy in the onsens, the hot springs, that give purpose to the Taisho and early Showa Period inns that follow the river bank and its offering of warmth.
Back in the inn it is warm and the guests staying in the inn with us have travelled here to bathe in the hot springs, the water from which flows through the inn and into its public and private bathing facilities. Japan has a very strong bathing culture and the history of public bathing is a long one.
We stay in a traditional Japanese room and that is where dinner is served. The food as always, using locally harvested Yamagata produce, is remarkable. The food is of course accompanied by a locally brewed Yamagata Sake.
Then it is time to roll out the futons, and after many days on the road, relaxed by the waters of the hot springs and ample amounts of Sake, we fall into a deep and warm sleep.
Good night.
In Yamagata once more, we arrive from Tokyo at Oishida Station by Shinkansen, the journey takes about two and a half hours, the train is not perturbed by the snow conditions and delivers its passengers on time. As the train departs the station through its deep cut in the snow we can’t help noticing that the platform opposite to ours is covered in about two meters of snow.
The snow lays deep on the roofs of the buildings, ever a challenge because it is snowing hard, the snow on the rooftops growing ever deeper.
A team of snow shovelers work precariously on rooftop edge, skilfully removing the two metre deep snow that could eventually crush the roof. This is a continual process in the winter time and a dangerous business in the slippery rooftop conditions.
From time to time we hold our breath as a large chunk of snow, which could so easily take one of our snow shovelers with it, is loosened and tumbles from the roof, there is a distant thud as the snow hits the path below. Unfazed by the danger of this operation one man lights a cigarette, once lit he begins to shovel again.
The long glass like icicles skirt the buildings and play with the lights from the gas lamps.
Small bridges cross the river at regular intervals. The steep banks surrounding Ginzan Onsen are also deep in snow, an occasional pathway shovelled through its deepness takes you away from the buildings and into a white world.
The snowflakes are heavier now and blur the figures of other visitors.
The magic of this place is that the water in the river below us is not cold, from deep in the ground the hot water provides the warmth that most people come to enjoy in the onsens, the hot springs, that give purpose to the Taisho and early Showa Period inns that follow the river bank and its offering of warmth.
Back in the inn it is warm and the guests staying in the inn with us have travelled here to bathe in the hot springs, the water from which flows through the inn and into its public and private bathing facilities. Japan has a very strong bathing culture and the history of public bathing is a long one.
We stay in a traditional Japanese room and that is where dinner is served. The food as always, using locally harvested Yamagata produce, is remarkable. The food is of course accompanied by a locally brewed Yamagata Sake.
Then it is time to roll out the futons, and after many days on the road, relaxed by the waters of the hot springs and ample amounts of Sake, we fall into a deep and warm sleep.
Good night.
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