Ginzan Onsen Hot Spring Town Limits Tourist Entry; Decision Helps Ease Evening Traffic Congestion

By Jo Nakato / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

7:00 JST, January 6, 2025

Ginzan Onsen, a popular hot spring resort in Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture, started limiting entry to day-trippers in December to prevent evening traffic jams.

The hot spring town has seen an uptick in the number of foreign tourists wishing to see the night view in winter, resulting in frequent traffic jams on the road leading to it.

The city government and the hot springs association made the decision because the traffic congestion often made it difficult for hotel guests and emergency vehicles to access the area.

Transfering via bus, taxi

The entry restriction applies to day-trippers who visit the hot springs using their own car or a rental car. Overnight guests who use the parking lots of ryokan inns are not subject to the restriction, which is scheduled to continue until February.

Those wanting to enter the hot spring town must park their cars at Taisho Romankan, a tourist center located about 1.5 kilometers from the center of the hot springs area.

Between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., visitors must enter the hot springs town by shuttle bus or a local taxi. The shuttle bus service is available at any time during this period, with a call button located at the tourist center’s bus stop.

From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., reservations will be required through a special website for the shuttle bus service. It is also possible to use local taxis. The number of visitors will be limited to 100 people per hour.

From 8 p.m. to 9 a.m., the city will ask visitors to refrain from entering the area.

The bus fare is ¥500 per person until Jan. 6 and ¥1,100 from Jan. 7, with groups paying an extra ¥50 fee.

Inn owners welcome decision

With 13 ryokan inns lined along a river, Ginzan Onsen is a popular hot spring town known for its fantastic night view.

“In my hometown, it snows once a year or so. The warm colors of the lights against the white snow are very beautiful,” a visitor from Taiwan said.

According to the Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization, the number of foreign visitors to Ginzan Onsen is increasing. The number of visitors from January to August 2024 reached 59,300, compared to 49,600 for the entire year of 2023.

But there is only one narrow prefectural road leading to the hot springs area from the city’s downtown. Drivers not accustomed to the snow who come without winter tires often get stuck on the slopes and block traffic, which residents view as a problem. The Ginzan Onsen hot spring association says it has also received complaints that snowplows are sometimes unable to enter due to cars parked in areas without permission.

“A few years ago, we called an ambulance after a tourist fell on the icy road and complained of severe leg pain. But the ambulance arrived very late because of the traffic jam,” head of the association said.

The 59-year-old owner of Ryokan Matsumoto, welcomes the new restrictions. “The hot spring resort is crowded with tourists during the daytime, but now it’s less crowded in the evening, when the night view is beautiful,” he said. “There are no traffic jams, making it easier for our overnight guests and employees to access the area.”

Obanazawa Mayor Hiroshi Yuki said: “Rules are necessary to maintain the area as a tourist attraction. We would like to examine the results to see how much these rules have helped solve problems.”