Getaway to Ginzan

    It should come as absolutely no surprise that one of my favorite places for a visit any time of year is Ginzan in Yamagata prefecture. While we are not currently traveling outside of the prefecture to avoid catching or spreading the coronavirus, we did make a short trip to Yamagata back in 2020 on a lovely summer afternoon.

Just a neat little town, relaxed and quiet and magical.

    After a short drive through the mountainous countryside, we came upon the old mining town, preserved in some ways and changing in others.

    The town in winter is something to see, especially in light of the way the glowing old-style street lamps illuminate the bridges that connect the two sides of the town over the large mountain stream that divides them. On a summer afternoon, the snowy wonderland effect is gone, but the town is still quite bright and lovely. Being so far from the bustling coastal places and busy cities, it also makes for a cool, calm getaway for a couple of hours.

Crowded streets got you down? How does this look for a change. Breathe in that fresh air.

    While I am not sure that it is currently recommended to visit if you're coming from far outside of Yamagata prefecture, I still think this is a great stop to put on future road trip plans for anyone who wants to get out of the big, hot and crowded spots for something more quiet and gorgeous. A short trip out to Ginzan might be a really lovely highlight to a summer reel in 2023.

    It's got some fantastic scenery and it's easier to walk around the various bridge pathways in summer comparing to winter, when some spaces get a little icy. When we went on our little summer trip back in 2020, there were some buildings that were still being renovated that probably look amazing now. Even when we went, there was a small park off I had not noticed on our previous visits as that space is usually covered with snow. Far back from the entrance to the town, there is actually a little sliver of green where a thoughtfully prepared person could have a picnic if they were tired of the delicious soba and tempura at the best little restaurant in town.

    We were not so well prepared and instead enjoyed our normal course of soba and tempura at the soba shop in town overlooking the stream.