Yamagata City

We departed from Sendai and arrived at Zao Snow Forest around 9:45 AM. The wait for the Zao Ropeway was very long; we queued for almost an hour to reach the Snow Forest Highland Station. It's unimaginable how long the wait would be before the snow melted… Although the snow had melted, the scenery was still beautiful. We had three hours, just enough for lunch and the ropeway ride to the summit. Afterwards, we arrived at Ginzan Onsen around 2:30 PM. From the Taisho Romantic Hall, we transferred to a bus to the onsen village. Again, there were many tour groups, and the wait was quite long. The onsen village had many places to eat, but since it was still light out, we couldn't capture the classic photos. I recommend staying there if you're interested. The whole trip was pleasant. The driver was polite, spoke Chinese, and contacted us in advance, which was convenient for those who couldn't drive. Public transportation there is infrequent, and the journeys are long. We could rest in the 9-seater bus without waiting for other buses, making it suitable for travelers with limited time in Sendai.

Our tour guide, Zoe, was from Hong Kong and was incredibly friendly, even helping us take photos :) The trip went smoothly, with rest stops every hour or so to buy souvenirs and use the restrooms. The itinerary was well-planned, offering views of both Ginzan Onsen during the day and night. However, it would have been better to stay a little longer to see the sky turn blue. The hotel was very new, but unfortunately, one of our rooms had a urine-smelling toilet. I suggest changing rooms immediately if you encounter this, otherwise you'll still smell the odor when you go to bed at night… Also, note that the main attraction is for viewing snow scenery; the Central Ropeway doesn't offer views of the ice trees, although the snow scenery is still beautiful. Ouchi-juku was more worthwhile than I expected.

Despite the rain, the overall experience was good. The driver drove smoothly, and there was plenty of time. I would suggest stopping a little longer at the Tendo stop, as 50 minutes was too rushed for sushi, and the food service there is rather slow. We soaked our feet in the Ginzan Onsen foot bath, but since it was a weekday, many shops were closed. The place wasn't very big; it would have been better if we could have stayed until the lights came on.

Good food, nice environment, Chinese menu, good service, I would go again.

Despite the bad weather, heavy snow, and a large number of tourists, our tour guide, Wang Lili, was quick to adapt and ensured that we were able to visit the hot spring area and see the snow trees within the allotted time. The day trip was really convenient, especially when the weather was bad; it was so good to have someone to take care of us.

Thanks to Ashley, our trilingual guide, for leading us to the legendary Spirited Away scene and even encountering a blizzard, which added a unique touch to Ginzan Onsen. We also appreciate the driver's professionalism in taking us back to Sendai Station on time.

Finally, we arrived at Ginzan Onsen, a place my partner had been longing to visit. Ms. Jingjing, our Chinese-speaking guide, gave a wonderful tour, and the entire half-day trip went smoothly and safely.