Yamadera’s cliffside temple, the Zao ski resort and Ginzan Onsen’s wooden inns.
The Yamagata Shinkansen runs from Tokyo to Yamagata and Shinjo, putting the inland sights within reach. Plan Ginzan Onsen as an overnight stay.
JapaLens editorial guide · Read in about 5 minutesRisshaku-ji, known as Yamadera, is reached by about 1,000 stone steps through cedar woods. The Godaido viewpoint looks over the valley. The poet Basho wrote a famous haiku here.
Allow about two hours. Yamadera Station is on the JR Senzan Line from Yamagata or Sendai.
Read this area guide →In mid-winter, frost-covered trees called snow monsters form on the Zao slopes and are lit up on some evenings. In summer, the Okama crater lake is the highlight. Zao Onsen has sulphur baths.
Buses run from Yamagata Station to Zao Onsen. Check ropeway operations in bad weather.
Read this area guide →Wooden inns from the Taisho era face each other across a narrow river. The street is especially atmospheric after dark and in snow.
Day visits are busy and access by car is restricted at times; staying overnight is the calmer option. Buses run from Oishida Station.
Read this area guide →An editorial route idea, not a timed tour. Adjust it for weather, opening days and your walking pace.
Climb Yamadera early before the crowds.
Soba or imoni stew in Yamagata City.
Shinkansen north to Oishida, then bus to Ginzan Onsen.
Stroll the lit-up hot-spring street after dinner.
Try cherries in early summer, imoni stew in autumn, soba and Yonezawa beef.
Yamagata City is the rail hub. For a memorable night, book a Ginzan Onsen or Zao Onsen inn well ahead.
The Yamagata Shinkansen links Tokyo, Yamagata and Oishida. Buses serve Zao Onsen and Ginzan Onsen; Yamadera is on the Senzan Line.
