2-Day Tohoku Highlights Tour | Ginzan Onsen & Mogami River Cruise & Dewa Sanzan Shrine & Fruit Picking | Depart from Sendai

Attraction Introduction:

• Ginzan Onsen: A hot spring town located in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture in the Tohoku region. This small street, surrounded by mountains, prospered in the 17th century as a silver mining site, which is how it got its name. Ginzan Onsen retains its wooden Western-style buildings from the Taisho to early Showa periods, and its retro streetscape and snowy winter scenery are full of romance. Ginzan Onsen was also the setting for the world-famous Japanese TV drama Oshin. It is also said to be the inspiration for the bathhouse in the Japanese animation Spirited Away. The retro, romantic atmosphere created by the rows of hot spring inns, combined with the beautiful snow, attracts travelers from all over the world every year.
• Mogami River Cruise: Known as the mother of Yamagata Prefecture, the Mogami River is one of Japan's three most rapid rivers. Stretching over 200 km, it runs through the north and south of Yamagata Prefecture, flanked by mountains, and offers distinct scenery that changes with the four seasons. Listen to the boatman sing the Mogami River Boat Song while enjoying the beautiful cedar forests, Shiraito Falls, and other charming seasonal scenery. The boat trip downstream takes about 1 hour. In addition to traditional boat songs, boatmen can also perform songs in English, Chinese, and Korean. The witty boatman is the soul of the tour, delighting guests with his singing and storytelling.
• Dewa Sanzan Shrine (Sanjin Gosaiden): The three gods of the mountains are enshrined at the summit of Mount Haguro. The Sanjin Gosaiden is one of the few massive shrines in Japan and the largest thatched-roof building in the country. In the center is the Gassan Shrine, on the right is the Dewa Shrine, and on the left is the Yudono-san Shrine. The thatched roof is 2.1 meters thick, and the interior is entirely decorated with lacquer, making it a must-see. The main deity of Gassan Shrine is Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, the incarnation of the moon, who governs the calendar. Dewa Shrine is dedicated to the local deity of Dewa, Inishie-ha-no-Kami, and Yudono-san Shrine is dedicated to the great mountain god, Oyamatsumi-no-Mikoto. The Kagami-ike (Mirror Pond) in front of the shrine has been a site where worshippers have offered bronze mirrors since the Heian period, and hundreds of mirrors are buried at the bottom of the pond, hence the name. The water level remains almost unchanged throughout the year, so it is believed to possess mysterious powers and has attracted believers since ancient times.
  
• Legend has it that the history of Atsumi Onsen in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, began 1,200 years ago when a crane was seen healing its wounds there. During the Edo period, after Lord Sakai Tadakatsu of the Shonai Domain took control, a hot spring office for the Shonai Domain was established, allowing it to flourish as a hot spring resort and forming the scale of the hot spring town today. Since ancient times, many writers and poets have visited, and there are many works by Matsuo Basho, Akiko Yosano, and Riichi Yokomitsu that praise this place. In the evening, the sight of residents carrying bath buckets to the public bathhouse is a daily scene in Atsumi Onsen. This historic hot spring, deeply integrated into daily life, has healed not only the crane but also people throughout the ages. Please enjoy it to your heart's content.