Yamagata City

This was my first trip to the Tohoku region of Japan, and I was most looking forward to Ginzan Onsen and Zao Snow Trees. I wasn't disappointed at all after seeing them. The little foxes at Fox Village were adorable, and the Edo area in Onihira was also very unique. If you include the entrance fee and cable car ride, it's quite a good deal overall. I highly recommend visiting Japan in winter!

Adding a Tohoku tour to Matsushima for a boat trip, grilled oysters, fish cakes, and scallops is a great deal. Just be aware that many attractions close after 4 PM, so it's recommended to leave early. Zuigan-ji Temple in Matsushima is highly recommended. Tateyama-ji Temple in Yamagata is also highly recommended. If time is limited, you can skip the Basho Memorial Museum.

The biggest advantage of visiting these tours in the summer is that you don't have to squeeze with crowds, there are no queues at attractions, and you don't have to wait long to take photos. The quality of the tour is much better than in winter. Zao Ogama is very beautiful. The weather is cold and windy, so you need to wear a jacket even in summer, otherwise you will be shivering. Our tour guide, Ji Fang, is very friendly. I often encounter difficult customers in my work, so I feel bad asking the tour guide to do anything extra. But she took the initiative to speak up and put the guests first, making them feel her enthusiasm. The return trip takes two hours, and she thoughtfully asked the driver to stop at a rest stop along the way so that the guests wouldn't have to hold their urine for too long. Lunch was delicious and we ate our fill. I recommend this tour to anyone who wants to go.

The planning was excellent; the fox was molting at the time, and at first glance, I thought it was a dog. The weather was perfect – the Okama was absolutely gorgeous, and the cool, refreshing Ginzan Onsen weather made it a great place to visit in winter. I'm giving myself another chance to go!