Yamagata · Ginzan Onsen
Ginzan Onsen Kosekiya Annex (day use)
銀山温泉 古勢起屋別館（日帰り入浴）
Day bathing at the annex of Kosekiya, an inn of some 500 years standing beside the Ginzan river in the middle of the Taisho-era streetscape. It resumed on 16 May 2026 and takes day bathers only on Saturdays and Sundays, 11:30–14:00 (last entry 13:30), at ¥1,000 for adults and ¥700 for children; towels are sold for ¥200 and bath towels rented for ¥300. To ease crowding each bath admits six people at a time, bathing runs 30 minutes to an hour from check-in, and payment is cash only. The indoor baths draw straight from the source.
- Price (adult)
- ¥1,000
- Hours
- 11:30–14:00(last entry 13:30)
- Closed
- Saturdays and Sundays only (closed on weekdays)
- Access
- About 40 minutes by Obanazawa municipal bus for Ginzan Onsen from Ōishida Station on the JR Ōu Line, alighting at 'Ginzan Onsen', then 3 minutes on foot; about 50 minutes from Higashine IC
- Water type
- Sulfur spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Adults ¥1,000, children ¥700. Towels are sold for ¥200 and bath towels rented for ¥300. Payment is cash only and no reservation is needed. There is no rest area, however, so there is nowhere to sit before or after bathing.
- Spring water
- Ginzan Onsen is a sodium chloride spring containing sulphur. The inn's indoor baths draw directly from the source, giving a faint sulphur scent and a soft feel. It can sting cuts and may affect metal jewellery, so take care.
- Baths
- The everyday indoor bath, Nukkuri-no-Kintarō-yu, is opened to day bathers. To limit crowding each bath admits six people at a time, and bathing is described as running 30 minutes to an hour from check-in. When it is busy you may wait in the lobby.
- House rules
- Day bathing is taken on Saturdays and Sundays only, 11:30–14:00 (last entry 13:30); weekdays are closed, so check the day first. The arrangement resumed on 16 May 2026, so confirming on the official site before travelling is safer.
- Access & parking
- About 40 minutes by Obanazawa municipal bus for Ginzan Onsen from Ōishida Station on the JR Ōu Line, then 3 minutes on foot from 'Ginzan Onsen'. By car, traffic is restricted in the spa street, so you park at the Ginzan Onsen communal lot short of it and walk in. The town is famed for its gas lamps at dusk, but day bathing is a daytime matter, so arriving in the morning and walking the street first works well.
- Phone
- 0237-28-2322
- Official site
- kosekiya.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
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Why go
- A 500-year-old inn in the Taisho streetscape
- Indoor Kintaro bath fed straight from the source
- Weekend-only day bathing at ¥1,000
A bath open only at weekends, in a gas-lamp town
Ginzan Onsen is a spa street known for Taisho-era wooden inns lined along the river and gas lamps lit at dusk. Kosekiya's annex stands right in the middle, on the bank, and is an inn of about 500 years. It resumed day bathing on 16 May 2026, on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 to 14:00. It is one of the few chances to take Ginzan's water without staying, but the hours and days are firmly fixed, so planning matters. Arriving in the morning, walking the street and bathing around midday is the reliable order.
Six people maximum, one hour inside
Two rules govern day bathing here. First, each bath admits six people at a time. Second, bathing runs 30 minutes to an hour from check-in. That is because Ginzan sits in a narrow valley with modest baths and overnight guests come first. At busy times you may wait in the lobby, and there is no separate rest area. So rather than lingering, it suits the mindset of having come to Ginzan and taking its water properly once. Towels can be bought on site for ¥200 and bath towels rented for ¥300.
What to note if arriving by car
Ginzan Onsen is a spa street of narrow lanes and bridges with restricted vehicle access. By car you use the Ginzan Onsen communal lot short of the town and walk in from there. By public transport it is about 40 minutes by municipal bus from Ōishida Station. The inn has no parking for day bathers, so knowing in advance that parking means the communal lot avoids confusion. Day bathing ends at 14:00, so seeing the gas lamps in the evening means a separate visit from the bathing.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- Ryokan day-use hours are limited and may be suspended in peak season — phone the same morning.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Mood & scenery
Amenities
✔ Verified operating: 2026-10 Operating status and rates cross-checked against the official site and onsen guides (full source notes in Japanese on the JA page)
Prices and hours change. Check official sources before visiting.
More in this area
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A terraced open-air bath along a mountain stream that holds 200 people, with bluish-white strongly acidic sulfur water. Open late April to late November only; closed in winter. Summer starlight sessions at night.
Shirogane-yu (Ginzan communal bath)
A Kengo Kuma-designed communal bath at the entrance to Ginzan's Taishō-era street. Hot water with drifting mineral flakes for ¥500. The one place day visitors can bathe in Ginzan's water — reception closes at 3:30 pm.
Zao Onsen Kamiyu Public Bath
A log-cabin-style communal bath at the top of Takayu-dōri. Zao's three public baths (Kamiyu, Shimoyu, Kawarayu) all cost ¥200, paid into an honesty box. No washing stations — just rinse and sink into the strongly acidic milky sulfur water.
