日本東北 奇蹟般美好的旅程！藏王樹冰 × 銀山溫泉 × 天童溫泉 × 狐狸村 × 松島夕照｜山形 宮城 自由行爆推｜日本東北追雪【總集篇】 4K

日本東北 奇蹟般美好的旅程！藏王樹冰 × 銀山溫泉 × 天童溫泉 × 狐狸村 × 松島夕照｜山形 宮城 自由行爆推｜日本東北追雪【總集篇】 4K

This trip takes us deep into two major prefectures in Japan’s Tohoku region Yamagata and Miyagi From steaming hot spring villages to stunning frost-covered ice trees surrounded by snow to Ginzan Onsen, like a world straight out of the animated film Spirited Away then to Fox Village to see the adorable, healing foxes and the sunset at Matsushima coast Don’t miss the must-try beef tongue in Sendai and all the delicious foods along the way Every stop leaves a lasting impression This is a “winter-only” in-depth journey and a free-spirited travel memory filled with emotion and wonder! Everyone, follow our camera and join us on this surprising trip to Japan’s Tohoku! On the first day of March 2025, we embarked on the journey we had been looking forward to the most in our lives. We are heading to Sendai. The plan is to visit Zao Onsen to see the snow and ice-covered trees. We also plan to stay at the Noto-ya Inn in Ginzan Onsen and listen to the sound of snow falling. We hope to see the beautiful snowy landscape. It’s so exciting to be on Starry Sky Airlines’ new plane! We’re off~~ Yay! The ritual of an in-flight meal is a must! (Homemade small hamburgers) My meal is baked chicken with potatoes. This way of eating is actually quite good. The other one is the signature Hutong grilled meat. We think the meals on Starry Sky Airlines are relatively more refined. I sneaked a bite of my husband’s food. Cheers! The must-try cocktail on Starry Sky Airlines is “Azure Sky.” Cheers! It’s the best to travel abroad with good friends! I’m starting to feel like we’re heading to the snowy country. At Sendai Airport, there is a 3D sculpture of a painting by master Otomo Katsuhiro. This is Raijin! Raijin sitting on a lion. Sendai Airport has a passage directly leading to the train station. Only one line of train goes to the city center. You don’t have to worry about taking the wrong train, it’s super convenient. It’s a shame that the tourist information center doesn’t have a souvenir stamp. I’ll just take a photo with the dinosaur doctor. We started looking for our hotel’s location. Tonight we’re staying at APA Hotel near the station. This chain hotel is known for being convenient, innovative, and affordable. Let’s take a look at the room. Turning on the lights~ Wow! It’s so small! Clean and beautiful decoration. They were generous with the TV! It’s so big. The yukata is in the drawer. Tea bags, coffee, and paper cups. They provided two bottles of water. A small refrigerator. It’s frosted glass. Let’s check out the bathroom. A modular bathroom, with a small bathtub. A bidet toilet. After checking in, we went out to find food. Of course, the first thing we want to eat in Sendai is the famous beef tongue dish. So we went to the well-known chain, Rikyu. We were lucky and didn’t have to wait in line to get in. We found there were grilled beef tongue and beef tongue hot pot sets. Cheers~ The hot pot in the set is sukiyaki. The meat in the hot pot is replaced with thinly sliced beef tongue. The beef tongue is sliced very thinly. The rice comes in a huge bowl! Look! The egg is so fresh! Raw egg is an important dipping sauce for sukiyaki. Beat the egg and add soy sauce. Shichimi (seven-spice powder). The dipping sauce is ready. Mmm~ It’s so chewy~ Beef tongue like this is really delicious! Especially on a cold winter night. It’s really hard to stop eating. There’s also the thick-cut grilled beef tongue. Compared to the thin slices of beef tongue in the hot pot, the meat is much thicker. This one is even more satisfying to eat. So happy~ After eating, we went to explore the nearby shopping street. We found some interesting gachapon (capsule toys). This wooden “karakuri” doll is a specialty item from the Tohoku region of Japan. I got the most famous “Nariko” doll. So cute! It’s made of cloth! Let’s try one more. A 300 yen fish! Is it a salmon? What fish is this~? It must be this one, right? It’s a tuna! It’s made of cloth! So cute! A little fish~ Japanese crepes are different from the ones in Taiwan. Besides the different fillings, the biggest difference is the crepe itself. Japanese ones have a soft crepe. This is ice cream! Bought one as a dessert after the meal. It smells so vanilla! Super sweet! It’s best to eat it together! Eating just the filling inside is a bit too rich! Super sweet. It’s best to eat it together! Wow! It’s so cold. Full and satisfied, time to go back to the hotel and sleep~ The second day of this trip. We need to travel from Sendai to Yamagata. You can take either a train or an express bus to get there. The express bus station is at platform 22, in front of Sendai station. Surprisingly, there are lots of departures. It’s very popular! Many people are in line. If you have large luggage, you need to open the bus’s luggage compartment by yourself. Once you’ve stored the luggage, close it yourself. The travel time is about an hour. Let’s go~ It’s the perfect time to have breakfast on the bus. Gradually heading towards the mountainous area. I can already see the snow-covered mountains in the distance. The winter sunlight is so pleasant. Actually, we arrived pretty quickly. The drop-off location is right next to our hotel. Today we are staying at the Daiwa Roynet Hotel in front of Yamagata Station. We went up to store our luggage and took a look at the room. The room is quite deep. This hotel provided us with a really nice experience. The room is larger than usual. Convenient location, and the accommodation fee is affordable. The staff is friendly, and we could check in at 2 PM. There’s a nice-sized desk for work. They provided bottled water. In the small cupboard, there’s a kettle and cups. There’s information about the hotel and a mini fridge in the drawer. A dedicated space for hanging clothes. The bathroom is separated into dry and wet areas. The bathroom is as spacious as the room! 😆 Washbasin. The bathroom is actually quite spacious. It’s rare to see such a large bathroom in a budget hotel. Also, there are amenities available in the hotel lobby for guests to take. What’s special is this set. A toiletry set and slippers for children. There are also some other unique amenities. After settling the luggage, we walked to Kajo Park. On the way, we found a store selling roasted sweet potatoes. Super sweet! So delicious! Really tasty. The bigger ones should taste even better! It’s so good! Bought 2 more. We passed by Furei Shrine on the way. This shrine is also quite well-known in Yamagata. It has a golden dragon! It’s frozen, so there’s no water. The water basin is not in use during winter. Let’s draw a fortune slip from the God of Wealth. Let’s see how my fortune is this year. Let me open it. Be careful when opening it, there’s a little souvenir inside so it doesn’t fall out. Middle fortune – it’s okay, you’ll have money. Oh no, I was hoping for more money 😆. Looks like my fortune this year is just average. Let me translate the fortune slip using my phone. It says there will be unexpected wealth, and to be grateful and make good use of it. My husband says he wants to draw one too~ Great fortune! His is even better than mine~ The lucky charm is a frog decoration! Wow, we have so many of these at home! 😆 I thought there was a bird hatching an egg on its head. We finally arrived! (Kajo Park) Overthinking… we’re almost there, okay? The bronze statue of Mogami Yoshiaki. This place is great! There’s no one here 😆 There’s still some snow on the ground to play with. The cherry blossom trees are full of buds. This Yamagata Castle used to be the largest castle in the Tohoku region. It was originally built in 1357. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was the stronghold of the Yamagata feudal lord. Over time, it was damaged and neglected. This led to the castle’s downfall. Much of what you see today was rebuilt and restored starting in 1986. My husband says the gate smells like cypress wood (I can’t tell). The bronze statue of Mogami Yoshiaki, the brave general. He was a famous military commander who was active from the Sengoku period to the Edo period. He was the uncle of Date Masamune, the one-eyed dragon. This statue is really handsome! Inside Kajo Park, there’s a modern cultural landmark to visit. Wow! This place is so cool! The Yamagata City Local Museum. Originally called Seikokan, it was the county hospital of Yamagata in 1878. Doesn’t it look like Dr. Mackay? 😆 (Foreigners used to have this look back in the day.) This building is the finest example of a Western-style structure from the Meiji era. It was designated as an Important Cultural Property in December 1966. Now, it’s a museum that you can visit. And it’s free! There are several commemorative stamps you can collect inside. Oh~ so beautiful! Yamagata City Local Museum Mogami Yoshiaki and the Yamagata Castle ruins Yamagata Local Museum One of Japan’s Top 100 Famous Castles, No. 10 Yamagata Castle It’s so beautiful during cherry blossom season! It really is beautiful Right now, there are a lot of cultural artifacts on display inside But a large portion of them are prohibited from photography We tried to capture the ones we could photograph There’s no issue with photographing the exterior of the building It’s a very unique circular building The tower in the middle lets you go up to the second floor The second floor allows photos, showcasing the building’s materials and some parts Transportation methods from that era How did they fit into such a small space? Leaving Yamagata Castle Park Walking towards Goten-zeki Goten-zeki This is a dam built in 1624 by the lord of Yamagata Castle Used for the people’s daily life and agricultural water It’s now developed into a cultural and creative shopping street There’s a supermarket! I always want to browse when I see a supermarket They even have locusts cooked in sweet syrup! 😱 The fried food looks good! Let’s buy some to eat Yonezawa beef croquette It’s delicious So heavy! The fried meat skewers are quite heavy So much meat on it It’s quite tender Is this pork? It should be pork! Doesn’t taste like beef This one’s only 200 yen each The seasoning is nice, and it’s not expensive, very affordable Delicious! So heavy We found a restaurant here to eat (Juuichi-ya) Got caught acting silly! 😆 This restaurant sells both meals and souvenirs The fortune slip from the shrine earlier said The food that will bring me good fortune is pork cutlet Struggling to decide on the order… In the end, I ordered the steak I wanted to eat 😆 (People aren’t poor for no reason…😆) I think this might be garlic? Huh?!? No? This tastes very garlicy Oh no! The sauce tastes really garlicky! My expression isn’t quite right… The meat’s good… but… garlic Can I just eat the meat? This sauce is not for me Oh no! I ended up ordering the garlic sauce steak Giving it to my husband The meat’s good! But I can’t stand the sauce My husband ordered the hamburger steak It looks very refreshing in taste Hmm… this is good That meat (the steak) is good, but I can’t stand the sauce (I just don’t like garlic) Cheers~ The apple juice is delicious Vegetable soup that comes with the set meal Onion There’s a small flower inside This is… wheat gluten Grilled eggplant The yuzu-flavored sauce and daikon radish puree make the hamburger steak taste very refreshing It has a very elegant flavor It’s quite different from the usual Japanese hamburger steak flavor It’s quite special and also very delicious That’s all for today~ Tomorrow we’ll be heading to Zao Onsen Good morning, Yamagata Today, we’re heading to Zao Onsen The hotel lets us store our large luggage until we return Super thoughtful~ Extra points We’re staying at the Daiwa Roynet Hotel, right next to the station It’s just a short walk to the station We still have some time, let’s grab some breakfast Looks delicious! The bread looks great! Hey! Mmm~ So good! The bread is really good The new brand “ZETTERIA” by Nongtley is actually quite good The bus station to Zao Onsen is right outside the station But you need to buy a ticket before getting on The ticket machine is right next to the bus station If there aren’t too many people, it’s very convenient to buy tickets from the machine directly You need a ticket to get on the bus to Zao Onsen, don’t just blindly line up You can’t just swipe your card to get on Let’s go~ The ride is about 40 minutes, it’s actually not far The bus heads into the mountains, and the snow piles up more and more Zao Onsen bus station has a commemorative stamp, don’t miss it! Is this Patrick Star? 😆 Actually, it’s tree ice~ 🤣 Let’s check out the local geography Before going to the hotel, let’s walk around the onsen area The first thing you do when you come to the snowy country is take out the snow duck to play~ 😆 Zao Onsen is located at an altitude of 800 meters It’s located on the western slope of the Zao mountain range in the southeast of Yamagata This area is covered in snow for a long time during the winter It’s said that Zao Onsen was discovered around the year 110 AD It gradually developed into a hot spring resort area starting from the Edo period During the Showa period, skiing became popular and ski facilities were developed Today, it has become the largest ski resort in the Tohoku region of Japan But this time, we’re not skiing We’re just here to enjoy the charming atmosphere of the snowy onsen area It really is a misty place It’s especially beautiful to visit the onsen area at this time of year Steamed bun 😆 Public bathhouse The shrine is frozen in snow and ice, we can’t enter right now Actually, we have no idea what’s here, we’re just strolling around We’re just walking and looking at the attractions here Walking around, we came to the sports center Here, you can rent skiing equipment, store luggage, and dine Let’s go upstairs and have a look You have to pay to ski, right? Later, we found out that skiing is free The biggest expenses are renting skiing equipment and the cable car fee to the top There are so many people! It looks really fun Next time, we’ll come here specifically for skiing Let’s go eat~ Let’s just choose this place and have a quick bite The cheese beef burger looked good, so we ordered it I also saw others ordering fries, they looked delicious too So, we ordered them too 😆 The outer skin is so crispy Beef Is it delicious? Yes, it’s delicious! So delicious! The fries are made from mashed potatoes and fried. It tastes like Calbee fries (I can’t remember the name for a moment). So delicious. The taste is very similar to “Prince Noodles.” Yeah, the Japanese Prince Noodles. It really does. Instant noodles? They have utensils, but we’re using our hands. [5-Cheese Pizza] Full of cheese! It’s thin-crust, really tasty! Overall, it’s a really good restaurant. There’s also a shop on the first floor; you can take a look there. When you get a hat, you’ve got to try it on! 😆 Yamagata Zao Bell Keychain Wood mustard magnet Sticker for skis This is cool! (I love polar bears~) It’s for the ski board! This pattern is so cute. The champion of the snowfield~ 😆 They also sell a lot of ski gear and clothing. It’s a fun place to browse. Next to the sports center is the cable car station. In addition to the small ski cable car, Zao Onsen has four large cable car lines. We’re now on the farthest left cable car line. This line is a small basket-style cable car that fits two people. Here we go! Wow! I’m sitting the wrong way! I’m going backward! The cable car view is filled with snow scenery. Along the way, we also saw skiers below. We rushed quickly into the cable car station; it was a bit scary! After getting off, I found a commemorative stamp! Zao Three Great Gods, Zao Daikokugen Drinking a hot drink in this cold weather is really enjoyable. This is a metal can, so hot! It’s so good! The taste of happiness. -3°C. Outside the cable car station is a snowfield. Nearby is the Zao Daikokugen Shrine. It’s said that this deity doesn’t originate from India but is unique to Japan. It’s a god who subdues demons and brings peace to people. There’s a commemorative stamp inside the shrine. There aren’t many skiers in this snowy plateau area. You can walk around nearby. This is soft ice. It’s such powdery ice! I wanted to try what I saw in a video online, sticking my head into the snow… It’s hard! It’s just the shape of a hat. So cold! The snow wall is taller than me. This ski cable car area doesn’t have many people. Since there aren’t many skiers, it’s a great place to wander around leisurely. I’m lying here. My first snow angel. I kept walking toward the forest and discovered a pond. This is the Dokko Pond. It looks small right now, not much to see. But during the summer and autumn, it’s really beautiful surrounded by trees. So cold! 😆 My second snow angel in a clumsy way. Ice! Hey, so cold! Taking a round trip back to the cable car station~ It’s really cold~ My face is freezing! So hot! So hot! Hot hot hot hot! Quick, here you go! It’s so hot my hand went numb. It’s super hot! The canned corn soup from Japan’s vending machines is always a favorite drink of ours. After freezing in the cold, having a hot drink really brings me back to life. Should I drink the top, and you the bottom? The top is just soup, the bottom has corn. Let’s go down the mountain~ Let’s go! Ah! It’s the wrong way – oh! It’s a pirate ship. So scary! There aren’t many people skiing in this area. Next time I have the chance to ski, I’ll play in this area. Once again, racing into the cable car station. It’s all white. We’re heading to the sports center because our accommodation is in this direction. Tomorrow we’ll visit the famous ice trees in Zao Onsen. Let’s slowly walk to today’s accommodation. The smoke from the hot spring area looks misty. The snow sparkles under the sunset’s light. The sunset is here. Ah~ so cold! The color temperature of the entire hot spring town changes under the sunset’s glow. So beautiful~ This Zao Onsen trip… We purposely chose two different hot spring inns. Both are on a plan with two meals. We really wanted to experience the different meals at each inn. We’re staying at this inn today, Meito-sha So Onsen Ryokan. Let’s check out the room. Room 401, Shinobina. Welcome! 😆 The room isn’t small. Wow! It even has an electric heater! It must be a kerosene heater, right!? We’re staying in a corner room, so it has several windows facing outside. Since the room is spacious, the bed was already set up when we arrived. The room has four seats. Ah~ my back hurts, it feels good to sit down. It also has a small bathtub where you can soak in the room. A separate washlet toilet. Let’s check out the hotel’s facilities downstairs. The lounge has a drink bar available for free. It’s available from 3 PM to 6 PM. They offer black tea, fruit vinegar, coffee, and… I’m not sure what this is? It’s spiced lemon water. Apple juice, orange juice. Green tea, oolong tea, coffee. I’ll have coffee. It feels very rich! Did you make lemon coffee? It seems like it would taste really good! All done~ 😆 The taste is really strange 😆 Spiced lemon water with iced coffee is really hard to drink. I’ll rinse my mouth with some apple juice 😆 Cheers~ It’s good~ Let’s change and head to the restaurant for dinner. This is a must-do ritual when staying at a hot spring ryokan. The seats are all ready. The main dish is on the table, drinks, side dishes, and soup are self-serve. There are two types of soup. So many vegetables! Mountain vegetables and pork, looks great! Locally grown rice from Yamagata Prefecture. Cheers~ Let’s do another one~ First, let’s have the mountain vegetable pork miso soup. The ingredients are really substantial. Appetizer. Very special pickled chrysanthemums. So bitter 😆 It’s chrysanthemum. Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard). There’s shrimp inside! It tastes really good. Chilled scallops and salmon. The seasoning is refreshing, it’s delicious. The main dish is a hot pot. Pork from Yamagata Prefecture. The pork has a very fresh taste, no porky smell. They gave me a huge bowl of rice (they’re worried I won’t be full). The rice is really delicious! Nothing beats having a hot pot in winter! After eating, the staff will bring dessert. Some kind of jelly and melon. Is it tea jelly? Maybe passion fruit? Maybe? Actually, it’s mango jelly 😆 Thank you to the hardworking staff. The outdoor public bath in the snow is amazing here. Everyone should experience it if you get the chance. Good night, everyone~ This ryokan’s breakfast is buffet style. Let’s see what’s available. Salad area. What’s special is that you can take unlimited onsen eggs. Ham slices. Potato salad, seaweed salad, cherry tomatoes. They even have dumplings! Local Yamagata specialty, konjac balls. Shrimp shumai. Seasoned very lightly, it’s delicious. Young anchovies, mentaiko. Various pickles. Fruit, canned fruits. Yogurt, tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet). Hot dogs, small hamburgers. Grilled salmon. Chikuzen-ni (simmered vegetables and chicken), stir-fried udon noodles. There are two types of bread. Delicious Yamagata-grown white rice. Beef and pork curry. Miso soup. Milk, vegetable and fruit juice, Calpis. Coffee. Cheers~ That’s pretty much it for breakfast. After breakfast, head back to the room to pack. Getting ready to leave, today’s also a day to play around the Zao Onsen area. But we’ll be changing to another ryokan to experience something different. We’re going to see the snow monsters, the “tree ice.” This place was nice to stay at, the food was great, and it wasn’t expensive. Highly recommended. Leaving the hot spring inn “Meito-no-Yado Sō” Heading toward the ropeway station to see the snow monsters For us Taiwanese, the snowy scenery along the way feels so refreshing and new We’ll pass by our hotel for tonight on the way Let’s drop off our carry-on luggage first While wandering around, we ended up on the main road of Zao Onsen There’s a Lawson convenience store here, the only one in the hot spring area Turn into the alley beside the store and you’ll reach our lodging for tonight This hotel is very close to the ski slopes So many skiers choose to stay here There’s a huge luggage storage area, self-service style We’ll introduce the hotel to you later Let’s go! Time to see one of the highlights of this trip The snow monsters of Tohoku — the Zao snow-covered trees It’s just a short walk from our hotel to the ropeway station Online it says you might have to line up for 1–2 hours to get in We were super lucky and got in with no wait at all You can buy ropeway tickets at the counter or vending machine To see the snow monsters, you need a two-section ticket—¥4200 per person round trip After buying tickets, it’s time to line up Snacks sold exclusively at Zao Ropeway’s summit station This ropeway uses large gondolas that carry a whole group at once Let’s go! This first section goes from the foot station to the Juhyō Kōgen (Snow Monster Plateau) station The slope here is gentler And the flat snowy areas are wide, so lots of skiers choose to ski here As we ascend, we start seeing trees covered thick with frost So beautiful! Juhyō Kōgen Station — Elevation 1331 meters Many skiers get off here to ski But we’re here to see the snow monsters, so we’ll continue on to the summit station Let’s go! From here, the scenery gets absolutely stunning! Just seeing this view makes the whole trip worth it The snow-covered trees on Mt. Zao are also called snow monsters because of their unique shapes They form between December and March each year With January and February being the peak season Seeing this amazing sight with your own eyes really takes luck Not only does the season’s temperature affect their formation But you also need good weather when you visit There’s a high chance of snowy, foggy conditions up top We’re incredibly lucky today We got to see Mt. Zao covered with snow monsters There are also many skiers weaving between the snow-covered trees This ride was absolutely stunning—something to truly cherish Arrived at the summit ropeway station Couldn’t wait to head outside to see the view They say this year is a heavy snowfall year, and the snow monsters look perfect There’s a “Lovers’ Sanctuary” marker on the observation deck You can see the ropeway we took earlier and a sea of snow monsters The scenery here is truly one of a kind If you ever get the chance, you must come see it yourself That was a crisp and loud crunch! 😆 Let’s head toward the Jizō statue next The powder snow feels like cornstarch underfoot—it’s giving me goosebumps! It seriously feels like stepping on cornstarch The snow’s so deep this year—only the Jizō’s head is sticking out I honestly have no idea what pose to strike with the Jizō… haha Next, let’s walk around the snow monster field Without goggles, the blinding white is so bright! The tree ice is actually quite big. You can see all the way down to the mountain! The view is really good. Due to the strong winds and low temperatures at the mountain peak, unique feather-like ice formations are created. It must be so fun to ski down from here! Next time, I must try it. Heading back down. More tourists have arrived, the whole tour group is here now. The cable car took off as usual. The view of the tree ice on the way down is a bit different from when we went up. You can see much farther and the view feels even more magnificent. As we descend, the appearance of the tree ice gradually changes. Different tree species have different frost formations. Back at the Tree Ice Plateau station. Oxygen is low～ it’s too high. I’ll take a walk around here before going for lunch. From here, you can see the cable car we took to the summit station earlier. You can also see the full view of the tree ice in the distance. Crab walk. A-Ping is afraid of slipping 😆 The restaurant outside Tree Ice Plateau station is mostly visited by skiing tourists. It’s a Japanese-Western fusion restaurant. The specialty is that every dish uses tomatoes grown by them. Everything looks delicious, so I debated for a while before deciding on the pork cutlet tomato curry set. It’s sour. Too sour 😆 (Looks like they added a lot of tomatoes.) It tastes good! But the first bite is so sour! It’s tasty! The pork cutlet is a little small but quite thick. It’s a fried hamburger steak. It tastes great together. The fried meat patty burger with fries set. Their proud tomato sauce. The tomato sauce is their specialty. It’s like tomato paste (very authentic tomato flavor). The burger looks so thick. Wow! It has such a strong beef flavor. Actually, it’s not bad. After eating, we take a walk around the area. This area is mainly filled with skiing tourists. The snow field looks very smooth. There are other tourists’ snowmen ahead. I added a few companions for them. Punk Duck. The punk head is gone. Ugh～ so cold! Sitting on the snow is so cold! Waterproof pants are essential! 😆 By the afternoon, the weather on the mountain worsened. We’re heading down. The trees here no longer have any frost. At the base station, there’s a small souvenir shop. You can check it out before leaving. I thought it was a snowflake Zao, but it’s actually a cherry blossom design. Various keychains. Cute Zao Jizo. It’s a cable car station exclusive item. I’ll take one home. So cute! What’s the significance of it holding an eggplant? It’s a pot! It’s a medicine pot! Little badges. This figure is way cuter～😆 Back to tonight’s accommodation: Takamiya Lucent Onsen Hotel. There are many Takamiya Group hotels here in Zao Onsen. Let’s take a look at our room. The room is quite spacious. The futons are already laid out. There’s a small tea table and a work desk. With a modular bath and toilet. The window faces the hotel entrance. Yukata robes are stored inside the closet. A safe and a tea set. Towels. For wiping the table, apparently. There are tea bags in the little jar. Many onsen hotels use these silk tea bags. How did people in the past sit on such low chairs? It’s just you who can’t 😆 I can’t squat down 😆 After a little rest, it’s time for the dinner we’ve been looking forward to! We arrive at the restaurant at our reserved time. The dishes are already served. Tonight’s menu. Appetizers. Main dish: Yamagata pork. Konjac sashimi. Tempura. Cheers～ Rice in Japan is almost always delicious. The tempura comes with special matcha salt. The mini hot pot is made with a paper container. They heat it with a flame right under the paper—so fascinating. The pork slices are quite fragrant and good quality. Really goes well with rice! Time for dessert. Mango pudding. Noticed that hotels here really like to use mango for desserts. After dinner and a soak in the onsen, we discovered it was snowing heavily outside. Went out for a stroll and took some photos. Zao Onsen Street is practically deserted at night. It’s the kind of experience you can only get by staying overnight. The only place still brightly lit is the Lawson convenience store. Tonight is the first time we’ve encountered real snow on this trip. Our whole group had so much fun, we didn’t even want to go back to the hotel to rest! P.S. We all played quietly and behaved well～no loud noises 😄 Waking up at a hot spring hotel—of course the first thing to do is breakfast! Good morning～Zao Onsen Village. Let’s see what we’re having for breakfast today? Self-serve hot spring eggs. Assorted side dishes. Grilled red salmon. Salad section. Yamagata’s specialty konjac balls. Miso soup packed with ingredients. Curry sauce. Corn soup. Fried tofu, fish fillet, French fries. Apple juice, milk, various tea bags. Zao Onsen water～😆 Two types of bread, jam, and butter. Shumai dumplings Mini omelet Hot dogs and bacon We greedily took a bit of everything Cheers Highly recommend cracking the hot spring egg over curry rice Salmon + rice + seaweed Made our own salmon rice roll While we were eating breakfast, snow started falling outside the window Looks like the weather today isn’t great Seeing the snow monsters at Zao Onsen really depends on luck With today’s foggy weather, we wouldn’t be able to see them from the mountain We’ll be leaving the hot spring area today Before that, we’re taking some time to explore the surroundings These cute two-toe socks caught my eye This one looks really nice too Two-toe socks with a taiyaki (fish cake) design I’ll buy this one Getting this one for mom Ah Ping has to try on every hat she sees This shop also has lots of souvenirs Yamagata’s famous konjac balls Just heat it up and it’s ready to eat I’ll get one The old town area here is also great to walk around There are barely any tourists, perfect for strolling leisurely Because fire hydrants can get buried under snow They put up super tall indicator signs The old town area of Zao Onsen In winter, it truly feels like a hot spring village Especially with steam rising up all around It’s really dreamy Hot spring water flowing down from the mountain It runs through the ditch by your feet And standing here doesn’t even feel cold The stone sign at this shop’s entrance is completely frozen over Look at this Snow was melted by the hot spring steam from the ditch, forming a curved dent After the snow melts, it refreezes into ice All these below are solid blocks of ice For some reason, almost all the shops were closed along the way Found a Pikachu At the entrance of the old street, we found a department store that was open Dried persimmon rolls Fancy! Wrapped with bamboo matting Lots of souvenir options Yamagata’s pear jelly This is called “bei-beni” — probably a case for rouge This is so cute! Beautiful traditional Japanese wooden dolls There are also some in more retro styles Daruma dolls! Yamagata’s local-style hanging ornaments Cherry Pork This one is super cute Konjac! Konjac balls And you’re supposed to put mustard on top (local style 😆) The konjac balls I just bought — they also come in this jumbo size Yup, this is the one I mentioned earlier! It seems like Yamagata also produces cherries. Scarves. Does this color look good? This one looks better. Health supplements. Alcohol. This shop sells so many things! As we wandered around, the weather seemed to get worse. The snow gradually started getting heavier. Let’s head back to the hotel to grab our luggage and get ready to leave. The hotel provides a shuttle bus to take guests to the bus station at any time. Actually, the hotel isn’t far from the station—it’s a short ride. We got on the bus going downhill without any issues. And that wraps up our relaxing Zao Onsen “piggy lifestyle” trip! The reason for this trip to the Tohoku region in Japan is that I’ve always dreamed of visiting Ginzan Onsen. My husband managed to book us a stay at the Noto-ya Ryokan. Since we invited friends along, I also got to experience my first time driving in Japan. To get to Ginzan Onsen, you can either drive yourself, or take a train from Yamagata to Oishida Station. Then, transfer to the Ginzan Line bus to reach the onsen. If you’re staying locally, many hotels near Oishida Station offer shuttle services that you can book. In addition, if you’re staying at a ryokan, they also have a dedicated parking lot. Before entering the Ginzan Onsen area, there is a tourist information center. They have commemorative stamps! The commemorative stamps have a Taisho-era style. They also provide tourist maps. We’ve officially arrived at the dream destination, Ginzan Onsen. Doesn’t this look like a big steamed bun!? Hmm… it takes a bit of imagination. Let’s head straight to the inn, Noto-ya Ryokan. Here we are! The ryokan writes the names of its guests on a welcome board (the handwriting is beautiful!). Hello! We have four people. After checking in, we’re given a map of the ryokan’s layout. Let’s go see our room. Haha, no need to hide it (we’re staying in the Seiryu room). Welcome! It’s interesting! After entering, there’s a long hallway. It’s a really long hallway! Only after that, we officially enter the room. This is our guest living room. In addition to this living room, we’ll sleep in a separate room. The bed isn’t made yet, though. Here are our yukatas. Yukatas, toothbrushes, and other amenities. What’s this area? It’s a place to hang clothes, with a coat hanger. A dressing mirror. Wow! It’s so retro! You have to kneel to use it! It’s a dressing mirror. What’s this? Ah… a comforter! 😆 That’s a comforter. There are partitions between each room, like a maze. This is the tea area. Ah, there’s nothing in here. It’s the fridge. Tea cups are here. 2, 4, 6. This room can accommodate six people! It’s a large room! Yes. Further inside are the washbasin and toilet. The toilet. Thankfully, the toilet isn’t outside. I saw there was a toilet outside earlier. I thought we’d have to go outside to use it. What’s this? There’s also a small outdoor balcony. Our friends’ room is right behind us. The highlight is here! We’ve booked our dream river-view room. By the river. It’s so cold. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Ginzan Onsen here. It would be perfect if it snowed right now. Just as I said that, the sky sent down a few snowflakes. Oh~ The snowflakes stopped right away. Let’s rest here and enjoy the view outside the window at night. Let’s visit our friend’s room for a bit. It’s on the second floor of the annex behind the main building. It feels so new! Here. Asagiri. The room is both new and spacious! Wow! You guys have a big bathroom! No one can see in this direction. When you open the window, it’s like an outdoor hot spring. If you look to the right, you can see the onsen street. The design of the high ceiling in this room is truly stunning. This is the first time I’ve seen such a high hotel room ceiling. Next time, if I get the chance, I definitely want to book a mountain-side room. The room is beautiful, affordable, and most importantly, it’s very competitive to book! Tea corner. Bathroom. Next, let’s make the most of our time and stroll around Ginzan Onsen street. It’s Japanese Girls’ Day, and the inn has displayed hina dolls. The walls are decorated with photos of the main character from the famous TV drama “Ashin.” This is because Noto-ya was the filming location for the show. Across from Noto-ya is Edo-ya. It’s a store selling many local souvenirs. Ginzan Onsen linen shopping bags. This one is nice~ Fūjin and Raijin inside! Raijin’s frog 🐸 (So cute) Uh-oh! This one strikes right at my heart. It’s so cute! And there’s also this one. Can you see it? Taiyaki. So cute! Also a ninja. After the hot spring, drink milk frog 🐸. And the squatting frog 🐸. These two. Also, do you want this one? Fūjin and Raijin~ Should we get them together? They have them there too. Are they showing the middle finger!? Look, they’re showing the middle finger! 😆 (Just kidding) This store is so fun to browse~ It’s such a golden find. This one is nice~ I don’t have this one. A very special red lucky cat. This one is so beautiful! This is Doraemi~ 😆 Doesn’t it look like it!? 😆 Doesn’t it? ~ (Kind of 😆) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6~ 😆 The counter has a commemorative stamp! Don’t miss it. Ginzan Onsen, Platinum Falls. Another stamp is from Edo-ya itself, it’s beautiful. There’s a mailbox in front of the store from the commemorative stamps. Next, let’s stroll around the onsen street. And take some good photos. Right now, it’s the blue curtain time in the sky, only lasting less than 20 minutes each day. This has always been the time of day I think is the most romantic and beautiful. Let’s go check out how beautiful Ginzan Onsen looks at this time. Someone’s making onsen eggs. The road is flooded. Three little raccoon dogs. Actually, the Ginzan Onsen district is very small. It only takes about 3 minutes to walk from the bottom of the area, Noto-ya, to the very front. Let’s walk back from here. Ginzan Onsen is located in the Onsen district of Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture. It’s famous for its nostalgic Taisho-era atmosphere and winter romantic snowy landscapes. Since it was built on the site of an old silver mine, it was named “Ginzan” (Silver Mountain). The inns here are spread along both sides of Ginzan River. There are also public baths and free foot baths. The overall architecture creates a romantic Taisho atmosphere. Also, since it’s built on bedrock, constructing buildings here is difficult, so the number of inns is greatly limited. With a small capacity for guests, it’s nearly impossible to get a room during the snow season. Usually, rooms are snapped up the moment reservations open. It’s really a blessing to be able to stay here for a night. I’m truly grateful for this experience. As we walk, we see the red bridge ahead, which leads to our accommodation, Noto-ya. If you walk further in, there’s another small area. This direction leads to the Platinum Waterfall, and there are also a few shops on the way. However, the Platinum Waterfall is temporarily closed during the snow season. At the end, we found that the road to the Platinum Waterfall was flooded with snow (no wonder it’s closed). And now, it’s starting to snow! The snowy onsen street is the most beautiful moment here. Let’s head back quickly. The weather was very generous and gave us a beautiful snowfall during the blue hour. This Ginzan Onsen trip was definitely worth it. Now, it’s time for the most anticipated part — dinner! Let’s go change and get ready. See you soon~ Our room… the door is a bit far. The restaurant is on the 1st floor of the annex. The seats have already been set up. The seats are really spacious. The staff will kindly introduce the dishes. The appetizers for everyone have already been placed. March’s menu. This is carp in sweet soy sauce, look. Wow, it’s such a big piece! How is it so big? It’s huge! This is a big carp! It’s a whole piece! It’s cut into slices, and it’s massive. The surprising carp in sweet soy sauce. Pre-dinner drinks – let’s have a toast! So good! It’s mountain grape wine! Alepong, the wine lover, thinks it’s so good, one glass isn’t enough, so she ordered a whole jug. So good~ 😆 I’m teased by my friends as the “wine lover Alepong…” When the meal started, the staff brought out the appetizer (Oshinogi) to line our stomachs. It’s handmade soba noodles. Their soba is a bit tougher. It’s different from what we usually eat; it’s very firm. It’s so chewy! Very flavorful. The staff said to put all the vegetables in first. The meat is huge! Local beef shabu-shabu from Obanazawa It smells so good! So greasy! (The high-quality beef has a lot of fat) It comes with sesame sauce for dipping. There are a variety of appetizers and side dishes as well. Oh! This is so chewy! I don’t know what fish it is, but it’s super crunchy! You can hear the crunching sound as you chew. The sauce on top should be carrot salad. Its texture and appearance resemble bok choy. It looks like one whole piece, but it falls apart with a poke. I can’t tell what it is. This is my first time trying this kind of dish. It has a very unique texture and flavor. This dish should be “Ginsan specialty Takigawa tofu” (cut into thin strands resembling waterfall splashes). Whitefish tofu Wow! It’s so creamy. It has an egg in it! It’s an egg! It’s so hard. The egg is cooked really hard. It’s so delicious! This is really tasty. Mmm, this is delicious. There are a lot of fish bones. The seasoning is really delicious. This is a great dish to have with rice. It’s not too salty, very good! Another dish is served. Wow, it’s so hot. Crab meat! It even has crab roe. Crab roe, stir it up. It’s crab chawanmushi (savory egg custard). So delicious~ Next up is duck soup. It has a strong burdock flavor. Oh! It’s so hot. Finally, for dessert, apple, brown sugar mochi, and strawberries. This apple is so delicious! This meal was truly satisfying. It’s all set up, secretly all set up. Traditional ryokan usually set up the bedding while guests are dining. Looking outside from the room, the sky has completely darkened. There are only a few tourists left on the street. At this moment, the hot spring street looks completely different from earlier. Let’s go! Let’s go outside and enjoy the view. This rare peaceful moment in Ginsan Onsen. It’s lightly raining with fine snow falling. The chilly, damp environment really suits the hot spring town atmosphere. The air is especially clear at this time. The saturation of colors around is particularly high. At this moment, you truly feel like you’re in a dreamlike scene from a children’s book. Wearing a thin yukata and a small jacket, I still can’t stay outside for long in nearly freezing temperatures. I quickly head back inside to hide. The lounge at Noto-ya has a warm stove lit. It quietly waits for guests to return and warm up. The warmth seeps deep into your heart, and you feel completely revived. Finally, in this tranquil Ginsan, I end the day with this cup of tea. Good night, Ginsan Onsen, good night, Noto-ya. Good morning, Ginsan Onsen. A thin layer of white snow covered the streets. It seems like it snowed a little last night. Before the crowds of tourists arrive, I came out to experience the quiet morning of Ginzan Onsen. As soon as I stepped out of the hotel, the snow started falling. How lucky! The snow stopped quickly, it felt like it was just for us. Next, it’s time for breakfast. The sense of ceremony between friends is a must. Let’s eat~ Wow! Malt sugar fish! So sweet~ At Noto-ya, here’s how to enjoy breakfast. You can warm the sauce with the tofu pot, it’s quite special. You can choose between white rice or radish leaf rice. Put the onsen egg on top of the rice, then add soy sauce and seaweed. It’s delicious~ Finished eating~ When I returned to the room, I saw that snow had started to fall outside. Tourists were gradually increasing as well. Seeing everyone playing outside, I’m going to take a walk too. Right now, it’s mostly local residents outside, and the tourists for the day haven’t arrived yet. So, the crowds on the street aren’t too many. I can still enjoy the beauty of Ginzan Onsen in peace. This time, I saw several different views of Ginzan Onsen’s snowy landscape. I’m really lucky. The snow is getting heavier! A blizzard at Ginzan Onsen! It’s snowing so heavily, it’s a bit scary. The snow’s getting intense, we should head back to Noto-ya for shelter. Inside Noto-ya, there’s a cafe. Guests can use it for free. After sitting for a while, the snow stopped. It was like the blizzard never happened. It’s time to check out and leave~ I’ll miss this long entrance hall. Before leaving, I discovered a small shop at Noto-ya. Handmade fabric bags. A wash basket for bath items used at the hot spring. Locally handmade accessories. Local agricultural products and processed goods. Stone Jizo statues. They’re quite cute in design. We still have time, let’s take a stroll around the hot spring street. The snow from earlier this morning has dressed the hot spring street in a layer of snow. It looks completely different from last night. Let’s visit the shrine~ As soon as we finished praying, it started snowing again! Last night, I walked to the end of the hot spring area, then turned back. Although the path to the Platinum Waterfall was closed, there’s still a sluice pit here that we can explore. This used to run through the entire mountain. It’s about 1 kilometer long. This passage was used for drainage and transporting goods. Unfortunately, it’s now closed due to an internal collapse. At the end of the street, there’s a unique old souvenir shop. Inside, everything, from the decor to the goods for sale, has a very antique and nostalgic feel! Let’s go! Let’s take a look. Look at those two in the back, holding a mallet. They’re so cute. Our family has no resistance to frog and Japanese demon-themed decorations. There are also quite a few antique traditional dolls. The Kaminari-sama carved from a 150-year-old tree. The shop has various traditional Yamagata dolls called “Kakiwako.” Different sizes and styles, placed in various corners. Magnets – so cute. The store is packed with so many things, it’s overwhelming. This year is the Year of the Snake, so there are snake decorations. Non-sale Taiko drums and mallets. There’s a unique local product here. It’s a Kakiwako-shaped adapter. It can convert small batteries into larger ones. Bath powder. Bell-shaped ornaments. A photo from the TV drama “Oshin.” Bear claws. I’ll take a Kakiwako back as a souvenir. This one is thin. There’s also a taller one. The price difference must be because it’s taller, right? Oh, only an extra 200 yen. Because it’s handmade, the details are a bit different. Let’s check out the expressions. The skin looks better! See? I picked one that I liked. It looks just like you! 😆 Looks like the snow won’t stop today. The snow-covered Ginzan Onsen street is truly beautiful. It feels like a dream-like place. I’m so happy to have fulfilled a long-time dream. To see the snow-covered Ginzan Onsen. And stay at the dream-like Noto-ya Onsen Inn. Next time, I want to visit Ginzan Onsen in a different season to enjoy a different atmosphere. Before leaving, there’s a store at the beginning of the hot spring street to check out. Most of the items sold here are food-related souvenirs. Besides the souvenirs, this shop has a must-buy popular item. It’s the curry bread. I happened to catch them restocking. It’s so popular, I almost didn’t get any. I’ll take four curry breads, please! Still hot! It’s an old shop. Let’s eat it while the curry bread is still warm. Mmm~ It’s delicious! The dough is very soft. The Japanese think this is spicy. Not spicy? It’s okay. Just a little kick. Almost done. Yeah! It’s small. One big bite and it’s gone. I really like the bread. The bread is better than the curry! Overall, it’s one of the best curry breads I’ve ever had! You can buy it. You won’t be disappointed. Now, I’ll leave Ginzan Onsen. Today we’re going to visit the birthplace of Japanese shogi. Tendo Onsen, known as the hometown of shogi. Arriving at bus platform number 2 in front of Yamagata Station. You can take buses N50, N52, or D55 to get there. There are plenty of buses to choose from. You can also take the train from Yamagata Station to Tendo Station. Then transfer or walk to the hot spring area. But taking the bus goes directly to Tendo Onsen, which is more convenient. The bus also passes by Tendo Station. After getting off at Tendo Onsen Station, first go to the hotel to drop off your large luggage. The hotel has a tourist map, so have a quick look. Then head out to explore nearby sights. At the hotel entrance, there’s a “hand bath.” It’s so hot! This hand bath is way too hot. The one beside it is also very hot. Tendo’s symbol! The giant King Memorial monument. Nearby there’s an Onsen Shrine you can visit. Beautiful lion statues. This shrine doesn’t really have much of a touristy vibe. It’s quite quiet and somewhat deserted. In spring, the shrine and park have many blooming cherry blossoms. Visiting then would be a much better experience. Continuing to look at the tourist map. On every bridge over the Kurazugawa River, there’s a corresponding shogi piece. This one is called the Rook Bridge. Gold General Bridge. Cherry blossom trees line both sides of the river, should be beautiful in spring. Wow! It looks just like it! This shop, Eishundo, makes traditional shogi pieces. They also sell many local souvenirs! There are actual shogi piece charms made from different materials. Prices vary depending on the material and the carving style. Tendo mascot-themed souvenirs. Traditional sweets shaped like shogi pieces. Rubber band guns—such a nostalgic item. The shop owner specially came to introduce this “Sa-ma.” It’s a very lucky character locally. It symbolizes attracting people, money, and good luck. The shop owner knows how to do business… 😆 Inside Eishundo, there are many shogi-related souvenirs. If you have the chance to visit Tendo Onsen, be sure to buy some as souvenirs. Even the floor tiles are decorated with shogi designs. Look, like this— Lance piece— Beautiful one! 😆 Shameless! 😆 Many restaurants around here are closed at noon. So we just ate lunch at a nearby family restaurant chain. They even have unagi rice. Robot delivering the food! The vegetable corn dish even has edamame in it! There are edamame in the corn! I really like their chicken thigh steak. The marinated chicken thigh has a great flavor. First time ordering avocado salad. Mmm… delicious. You have to cut the pizza yourself. Actually, it’s quite fun. Lots of cheese. Tasty! The cheese flavor is really strong~ Back to the hotel we’re staying at today Smile Inn, Taki no Yu There are some amenities available in the lobby It’s big! So beautiful This hotel is quite large After checking in, a Chinese-speaking staff member helped guide us and introduce the hotel facilities Free hot spring egg boiling experience Very friendly staff~ Let’s take a look at what our room looks like We booked the most basic and cheapest room type The space isn’t too small, and it has a big window facing outside The room quality is quite nice and fairly new Welcome snacks on the table Separate wardrobe The yukata is in the drawer below Towels Refrigerator~ It’s super big Oh! Such a huge fridge, first time seeing one this big Usually they’re just this size It’s super tall They provide a hot water kettle, more convenient than a regular electric kettle Tea set is inside the cabinet There is a seat by the window This dressing mirror is very special You can see three angles The room has a modular bathroom Shower and toiletries are all provided Check-in is at 3 PM, and by 4 PM we went to soak in the hot spring After soaking, you can have a drink The hotel offers each guest a free beer After finishing the beer, we went to boil eggs If you have a dinner reservation at 6 PM, you can eat dinner then Then have another drink at dinner! 😆 The next day’s breakfast is a buffet Oh~ this is the morning scene Before checkout, you can buy souvenirs Then leave~ Ah~ a refreshing day! There is a guidebook teaching guests how to experience this hot spring inn No time to waste~ let’s quickly go experience the hotel services Since it’s the Doll Festival, many beautiful hina dolls are displayed in the cabinet Raw eggs can be collected beside the lobby In the afternoon, drinks and snacks are also available Flower tea, roasted tea Apple juice, orange juice, “doctor’s tea” (A-Ping jokingly says grape juice), iced coffee Hot spring steamed buns I noticed the hina doll decorations next to the room are perfect for taking pictures in yukata This is… a hot spring steamed bun He mistook me for someone else He rushed over fast but got the wrong person Oh! So sweet! Super sweet red bean paste Going to boil the hot spring eggs The hot spring egg boiling time is from 3 PM to 7 PM There’s a boiling instruction guide nearby Dropped it in Timing 7 minutes Not bad~ A bit firm, not too soft Delicious! Getting ready to go soak in the big bath and have a drink! Let’s go! In the cold winter, you have to soak in the hot spring~ Photos are not allowed in the hot spring baths of the hotel But this hotel’s bath is super huge! If you have a chance to visit Tendo Onsen, you can stay here and experience it Because we didn’t book dinner at the hotel today We went out to check out local shops After all, this kind of place is rare to visit Our friend likes ramen We found a small restaurant with good online reviews The entire shop’s atmosphere really fits the feel of a traditional local Japanese old shop There is only one chef making all the dishes in the restaurant Pan-fried dumplings arrived~ 350 yen Smells good~ Ready to eat 😆 They look great! Delicious! It’s also enjoyable to watch the chef cook the noodles directly Here it is! Miso Chashu Ramen 950 yen Dunk it in~ First time eating “mochi with seaweed” as a topping Mochi with seaweed, this tastes really good! Very special Has the seaweed flavor with the chewy mochi texture The soup is delicious! The chashu is so tender Our friends happily ordered extra dumplings! 😆 This is probably the best ramen I’ve ever eaten The owner is very kind and polite too Highly recommend this place Full and satisfied, heading back to the hotel to rest Good night~ Good morning, Tendo Onsen~ The first thing to do in a hot spring hotel is to eat breakfast Taki no Yu’s breakfast is a buffet style There’s a very rich variety of dishes! Soba noodles corner Freshly made tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet) Chinese-style stir-fry and fried foods These bamboo shoots are very special Mackerel and red salmon French toast, which my husband likes Pan-fried ham Corn chowder A whole table full of various small dishes and pickles Salted squid and cod roe Bang bang chicken Chinese-style bang bang chicken salad Glass noodle salad There is also sweet sake on the side Mapo tofu Shrimp in mayonnaise sauce Scrambled eggs Bacon and sausages Soup tofu Konjac balls Yamagata’s special flavored sauce A sauce made by chopping various herbs and mixing with soy sauce You can mix it with rice, noodles, or tofu Salad section Bread section Desserts: almond tofu, mango, pineapple, apple, orange Yogurt There are various choices of coffee Tomato juice, vegetable juice, apple juice, orange juice Yamagata “Yukiwakamaru” white rice and porridge Yukiwakamaru Let’s add some mapo tofu There are also hot spring eggs How come this hot spring egg is whole!? 😆 Mapo tofu with hot spring egg Found a good spot, ready to eat Cheers~ The breakfast variety at Taki-no-Yu Hotel is truly very diverse Everything is made very delicately, and the seasoning is consistently good It’s pretty nice Eating delicious breakfast while watching the light snow outside the window You’ll definitely fall in love with this kind of travel experience right away And just like that, our one-day, one-night trip to Tendo Onsen ends Getting ready to take the train back to Sendai Take the train from Tendo Onsen Station to Yamakou Building Station in Yamagata Then transfer to a highway bus headed to Sendai Surprisingly, there are so many bus departures! Goodbye, Yamagata This trip took us to Zao Onsen, Ginzan Onsen, and Tendo Onsen We truly enjoyed a feast of beautiful scenery and delicious food Next, after returning to Sendai, we’ll go to Matsushima, one of Japan’s three scenic views Back in Sendai, there is no more snow now Leaving the hot spring area in Yamagata, we returned to Sendai. We decided to visit Matsushima, one of Japan’s three great scenic spots. Besides driving like we did, you can also easily get there by train. Take the JR Senseki Line from Sendai Station to Matsushima-Kaigan Station. Matsushima is located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Together with Amanohashidate in Kyoto and Miyajima in Hiroshima, it’s known as one of Japan’s three scenic views. In Matsushima Bay, there are 260 islands of various shapes and sizes. They are covered with Japanese black pines and red pines. Creating a uniquely Japanese style landscape. Welcome to Matsushima~ Let’s take a sightseeing boat to tour Matsushima Bay. There are several different routes and boat schedules. Be sure to check when buying tickets. The basic ticket price is 1000 yen per person. Departure~ We are on the Niomaru, the largest sightseeing boat here. Basic tickets allow access only to the first floor cabin and deck. For a better view, you can pay an extra 600 yen for a second-floor ticket. If possible, we recommend upgrading. The second floor offers a better view and fewer people. The boat is leaving~ We can see Fukuura Bridge. Later, we’ll walk across Fukuura Bridge to Fukuura Island. Some of the small islands in Matsushima Bay are really unique and beautiful! That one is Kaneshima! Its shape is very distinctive. Is that Choumeijima? I can’t tell the less distinctive islands apart 😆 After sailing for a while, we see Niojima. This island is definitely the main character here! The whole cruise lasts about 50 minutes. You can bring your own food to enjoy on board. Eat delicious food while admiring the beautiful Matsushima Bay scenery. Now I’ve completed visiting all of Japan’s three scenic views! There are lots of shops nearby, let’s see what tasty things they have. First up is an oyster senbei bigger than my face. You can taste the green onion. Because it has a whole oyster inside. The roasted oyster flavor bursts in your mouth. Such good oysters! 😆 Delicious! It’s fragrant! (Not fishy) Let’s buy an oyster curry bread next. Where’s the oyster? Here it is! It’s quite big. This one doesn’t taste like oyster! It’s all curry flavor 😆 Really good curry flavor. I can’t taste the oyster at all! Yeah! It tastes like curry. There’s also a grilled chikuwa experience here. You can roast and heat your own fish paste tube. One costs 300 yen, after paying you get a cold chikuwa. Then you roast it on the side. It’s puffing up. When it’s a little golden, it’s ready. Smells good? Toasty and crispy. Can’t bite through it (too hot! Don’t dare to take a big bite). It’s very similar to puffer fish cake. Really tasty. Delicious! Ah, it’s hot. Actually, asking Aping isn’t fair, she already really loves fish cake. At the entrance, there’s a prop of a fried fish cake for taking photos. This is super heavy! So heavy! Why is it so heavy!? Seriously heavy! 😆 The soy sauce grilled rice crackers from Matsushima Yukichikuya are also a famous delicacy. It’s really hot! Just grilled. Quite hard… As big as my face. It’s a flavor you can imagine. But since it’s freshly grilled, the aroma is very strong. Basically, still pretty tasty! Next, we’ll take a walk over to Fukuura Island. Admission is 200 yen per person. The Fukuura Bridge here was damaged in the 3/11 earthquake. Later, the tourist boat operators from Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake helped raise donations to repair it. It became a symbol of friendship between Taiwan and Japan. They said this was damaged in the big earthquake. Thanks to the disaster relief donations from Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake boat operators, it was repaired. This red Fukuura Bridge is also called the “Bridge of Encounters.” It hopes that visitors crossing will have a beautiful encounter. It’s really romantic. Fukuura Island has about 250 species of plants including red pines, cedar trees, and Japanese fir. It’s a beautiful natural park. On the trails, you can fully enjoy the natural beauty of the islands within Matsushima Bay. If you have time, you can take a walk around the island. You can check the signs to identify the islands. This is Komachi Island, this one is Ise Island. And the farthest one is Tamon Island. Here is Mabana Island. This one in front is Indō Island. Oh! I caught Niō Island on video! Here is a shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, one of the Seven Lucky Gods, called Bentendō. She is a deity symbolizing eloquence, music, and wealth. It’s said she’s very jealous, so couples should never worship her together or she might break them up… After going around, we’re back at Fukuura Bridge. Goodbye, Matsushima~ Finally, let’s do an unboxing of the hotel where we stayed in Sendai. The lobby of this hotel is really beautiful. There are amenities by the front desk you can take. Let’s see what the room looks like. After entering, we found a really big floor-to-ceiling window. It’s the first time I’ve stayed in a room with windows this big. A normal double bed. Teacups~ fridge. This is the normal size (the fridge at Tendo Onsen the day before was way too big). Now let’s check out the bathroom. Hey! It’s not the all-in-one type! It’s specially made! The bathtub is quite big~ That’s it! Tomorrow we’re ready to go “legally launder money” and see foxes~ Today is the last day of our trip to the Tohoku region in Japan. We bought some breakfast and hit the road. Today we’re going to Kinja Suijin Shrine and Zao Fox Village. Zao Fox Village is very famous; everyone knows about it. Kinja Suijin Shrine might be less familiar. But this shrine is super popular in Japan. Especially since it’s a place where you can legally “wash money!” Speaking of money, everyone’s interested, right~ Come along with us to check it out. The parking lot was already full of cars! There were crowds all the way to the entrance! It was crazy. The temizuya (water purification basin) was decorated. People paused to cleanse their hands and pray briefly. In front of the main shrine is the Kinja Benzaiten Shrine. It enshrines Kinja Benzaiten, the deity of wealth, wisdom, and skills. Our family really needs that… so we prayed sincerely. In the hollow of a sacred tree nearby, there’s a figure resembling a white snake. It is said this white snake is an incarnation of Benzaiten. People pray to it for good luck, fortune, and prosperous business. Next, we headed to the most popular spot, the Kinja Suijin Shrine. There was an extremely long line of people waiting! After waiting a long time, it was finally my turn to pray. Next to the shrine was a whole row of snake-patterned stones. We added some offering money and rubbed our wallets on these sacred snakes. Praying for blessings to keep our wallets full. Everyone happily rubbed the snake stones! Some wallets got worn out! 😆 Looks like lots of blessings! 😆 Next is another highlight of this place: the “money washing.” We found a commemorative stamp and stamped our booklets first. It was a very pretty stamp. After offering money, we took lucky bags. There were candles for offering and bamboo sieves for washing money. Let’s wash some money! First, we offered candles to the great Kinja deity. There were also beautiful Water God fortune slips here. I drew one as well. I brought 1,200 yen to wash (about 200 TWD) 😆 Some people here are really greedy! Greedy! 😆 Let’s see the fortune on my Water God slip. It said “medium luck,” which isn’t bad. The spiritual water here is said to strengthen the energy of wealth and money. One wash— Two washes— Three washes— After washing the money with the spiritual water, we dried it and put it in the lucky bag. Take it home and keep it in the wealth corner of your house for a while. Then later use it for business or investment. Done! My first time “washing money” in my life! My husband… washed a lot! How much does he want to make money? Washing so much? Washing so much money! 😆 That’s way too much! Money’s all washed now~ I asked my secretary to translate the Water God fortune slip. It said… for wishes, help from others will come and things will go smoothly. You should humbly accept advice from wise people. Who’s wise? My husband is wise! Nonsense!!! Health: take good care of your body when you feel tired. Fortune: learn to cherish the wealth you have~ Traveling, even when going out, won’t encounter obstacles; the journey goes smoothly. In summary, it’s very good! Moderate preference~ Happy Here they also have Seven Lucky Gods little golden figurine omikuji (fortune slips). I want to get Daikokuten! Fukurokuju (one of the Seven Lucky Gods) Fukurokuju? Where’s my Daikokuten!? And look! He is a “jinbo” (person’s wish). Number 26, good luck. Fukurokuju is called the god of fortune. Hey~ just like me, short in stature. There are also cute animal omikuji for kids. Drawing the lot~ Oh! Mine is a turtle! Why is it all related to longevity? 😆 It means I’m supposed to live a long life. Number one lot, great blessing! Japanese people really like turtles and frogs! I love them too. Next is a metal miniature model of the facilities inside the Kinhebi Suijin Shrine. It has komainu (guardian lion-dogs)! And a torii gate. It’s still drawn by capsule toy (gachapon) format. Touch touch touch! Touch. What’s this? It’s… this building. Is it him? It is! I drew him at the entrance. Got Kinhebi Benzaiten Shrine! Very beautiful! Let’s draw two more. These two then. Drew one and picked up the heaviest! Sure enough, got the shiny golden Kinhebi Suijin Shrine main hall. I won’t admit that I drew 11 times in a row and collected the whole set. The longest queue in this shrine is definitely at the souvenir shop. The line stretches from inside the shrine all the way to the entrance. Almost all the souvenirs here are exclusive limited editions. Most are related to money luck and snake-shaped souvenirs. They are clever and beautifully made. Especially the super beautiful flower lace amulets are must-haves. Because my husband and I are both born in the year of the snake, we bought lots of souvenirs. The queue to buy souvenirs got even longer! Scary! The rest area sells white snake bread. It’s also crowded with people. Let’s try the taste. It’s just a steamed bun! It’s a steamed bun. There’s filling at the bottom. Silly Ping. Eating the snake tail part. Plum bean paste. Actually quite tasty! This bean paste is pretty good! Plum bean paste? Hmm, very special! Try it. Very special! Plum bean paste. It’s shiso-ume (perilla plum) flavor. Yes! That red plum (pointing to shiso-ume). Very delicious. Your favorite flavor~ (My favorite flavor) For you~ Finished in two or three bites~ 😆 Next, heading to Zao Fox Village. Looking forward to petting the foxes later. Many precautions were given before entering. The entrance fee is 1,500 yen per person. The fox hugging experience costs 1,000 yen. There are only two time slots each day for on-site registration. Many places and facilities in this plaza prohibit photography. After asking the staff, we learned that taking photos and videos during the fox hug is allowed. So obedient! So cute! The fur is so soft. The experience only lasts a short while! Really adorable. Next, we went inside the park to really look at the foxes. Over 100 foxes are freely roaming within this park area. There are said to be six species. They are Hokkaido red fox, platinum fox, and cross fox. Silver fox, blue Arctic fox, and white Arctic fox. Since we visited in winter, the whole venue was bare and empty. If you come in spring or summer, it’s full of lush greenery. Combined with foxes of various colors, it must be very beautiful. It startled me! Because I turned around and saw it (Don’t step on it!) So cute~ Sometimes foxes pass right by your feet here. It feels really novel. They’re not afraid of people at all! Amazing. 1, 2, 3, 4! Sleeping in a whole row~ (Napping~) The sun feels so nice. It stretches~ its legs are shaking~ This one is dancing! So funny. Ah! They’re fighting. The sign says fights happen over territory or because they don’t get along. One just passed by my feet. Today I totally figured out how foxes make sounds 😆 It’s smelling pee! Then it rubbed itself all over! The one outside is calling the one inside to come out. And it actually gave up the little house. There are warning signs everywhere — don’t reach out to touch, the fox will definitely bite you 😆 Although the area here isn’t big, and it smells strongly of foxes everywhere, being able to get so close to so many foxes is truly a rare experience. Watching these sleepy-eyed foxes is super soothing. Before leaving, there was a souvenir shop. We bought a plush toy as a keepsake, then left. Other than being hard to reach, the rest of the experience was quite good. That’s it~ Bye bye~ On the way back to Sendai city, we passed by this chain yakiniku restaurant. Our last dinner on this Tohoku trip was here. It’s an all-you-can-eat yakiniku restaurant. They offer several tiers to choose from. After eating traditional Japanese-style meals at onsen hotels for several days, this yakiniku meal was especially anticipated. The meat was served quickly! And the pieces were big. This piece is mine. Mmm~ delicious~ Forgot to toast first~ This Tohoku trip’s itinerary ended beautifully right here. Good morning, Sendai! This morning we leisurely walked from the hotel to the station. Took the train to Sendai Airport. A direct train, about 25 minutes ride. Such a super convenient travel spot. The airport is small, and there aren’t many tourists. We cleared customs very quickly. Goodbye, Sendai. This trip was truly a wonderful experience! We’ll definitely come back if we have the chance! The Starlux Airlines flight from Japan to Taiwan served a potato hamburger steak and spiced chicken rice. The sunset colors on the plane today were very beautiful. Unfortunately, our seats didn’t have windows! So sad. After the meal, we had to try the Starlux signature cocktail. Today’s was the “Dawn Mojito.” A beautiful yellow color. By the time we returned to Taiwan, it was already dark. This snow-chasing trip to Japan’s Tohoku region once again refreshed our travel experience in Japan. We highly recommend everyone visit Tohoku in winter. Enjoy a wonderful hot spring town getaway!

📅【2025年3月｜日本東北自由行 VLOG 總集篇】

這次的旅程，我們深入東北的兩大縣：山形與宮城。
從熱氣騰騰的溫泉鄉，到冰雪包圍的絕美樹冰、神隱少女動畫世界般的銀山溫泉能登屋、狐狸村的療癒萌狐、再到松島海岸夕陽、仙台必吃牛舌、一路各種美食！ 每一站都讓人念念不忘。

這是一趟「冬季限定」的深度旅行，也是一場感動與驚嘆交織的自由行回憶。

📍 本片收錄景點亮點：
❄️【藏王樹冰】東北雪怪奇景實拍（藏王纜車）
♨️【藏王溫泉街】老街漫步 × 名湯舍創 × 高見屋Lucent
♨️【天童溫泉區】將棋故鄉！溫泉旅館大享受 微笑之宿 滝之湯
🏔【銀山溫泉】能登屋旅館 一泊二食 × 河景＆山景房開箱
🦊【藏王狐狸村】萌狐互動 × 超人氣景點
⛩️【金蛇水神社】合法洗錢！金運滿滿的大人氣神社
🏯【霞城公園、豐烈神社】山形歷史漫遊
🌅【松島灣】日本三景 × 福浦島夕陽
🍢【美食】利久牛舌、仙台土產、現烤仙貝、竹輪DIY
🏨【住宿】APA仙台 × 山形Roynet飯店 × The OneFive Sendai

章節—————————————————————————————————–

📍仙台篇｜城市起點，美食與方便交通的完美開局
0:00 旅程介紹
1:02 出發！直奔仙台，正式展開追雪之旅！
5:28 【飯店開箱】APA飯店仙台站前，地點超便利，商務旅客首選！
6:49 【仙台名物】利久牛舌大啖初體驗！果然是必吃等級的美味！
11:26 移動教學｜從仙台搭高速巴士前往山形，交通方式詳細分享！

🏯山形篇｜歷史文化與雪景的交錯之美
13:15 ROYNET山形站前飯店開箱｜新穎、寬敞又超方便！
15:06 拜訪豐烈神社、漫步霞城公園｜被雪包圍的寧靜時光
20:41 【冷門景點推薦】山形鄉土館濟生館｜走進日式洋風建築的醫學歷史
24:48 穿梭水圳之間｜山形市中心的靜謐景點「御殿堰」
26:45 十一屋百貨｜在地人氣餐點

♨️藏王篇①｜溫泉街巡禮、雪原絕景一次收錄！
30:27 前往藏王溫泉出發！從山形車站輕鬆抵達
33:04 漫步藏王溫泉老街｜懷舊木造街道與雪景超浪漫
37:08 藏王綜合運動中心｜冬季滑雪、雪地樂園！
41:44 搭乘空中纜車直上雪山，超壯觀雪白世界等你來看！
45:51 藏王中央高原｜雪原之上的靜謐壯麗
53:02 【高評價溫泉旅館】名湯舍 創｜一泊二食體驗大公開！

🗻藏王篇②｜追樹冰去！冬季限定奇觀全紀錄
1:05:09 一早搭纜車出發！去看傳說中的「樹冰怪物」！
1:23:36 【超夢幻住宿】高見屋 Lucent｜設施新穎，露天風呂超有氛圍！
1:30:14 繼續逛老街｜雪中的藏王溫泉區煙霧繚繞

🏔️銀山溫泉篇｜夢幻溫泉鄉，一次住進能登屋！
1:41:43 出發前往夢幻銀山溫泉！
1:44:20 抵達能登屋旅館，瞬間進入宮崎駿世界
1:44:50 河景房開箱｜窗外就是銀山川，雪景滿點
1:48:27 山景房開箱｜被雪山包圍的極致寧靜
1:52:21 超夢幻！藍幕雪景下的銀山溫泉，實在太美了
1:59:14 【晚餐體驗】能登屋會席料理，品味東北在地風味
2:08:06 夜晚銀山溫泉街道｜燈光與雪景交織的浪漫
2:11:13 清晨早餐＆窗外雪景｜幸福感爆棚
2:15:40 銀山溫泉雪中散策｜走過歷史小巷與商家

🎴天童篇｜將棋之鄉 × 溫泉放鬆
2:31:26 前往天童溫泉｜搭乘交通方式公開
2:33:09 天童市區散策｜感受將棋文化與當地日常
2:39:22 【房間開箱】「微笑之宿 滝之湯」設施分享，傳統與現代的完美結合
2:47:02 【拉麵驚喜】網走大將意外好吃！當地人才知道的口袋名單
2:50:54 早餐也太精彩！用味蕾完美收尾天童住宿體驗

🏞️松島篇｜三大景之絕美海灣日落行
2:55:56 日本三景之松島交通 行程總覽
2:57:25 【必玩】松島觀光船搭乘｜從海上看群島絕景
3:03:11 現場直擊｜松島在地海鮮美食吃好吃滿
3:09:11 福浦島日落漫步｜台日友好福浦橋
3:13:31 仙台The OneFive飯店入住開箱！

🦊最終章｜財運神社祈福 × 可愛狐狸 × 大口吃肉收尾！
3:15:01 出發金蛇水神社｜人氣超高的財運神社
3:19:09 洗錢祈福體驗！超特別又充滿儀式感
3:27:03 狐狸村入園資訊＆狐狸抱抱體驗，超萌超好嚕
3:28:46 【可愛爆擊】被狐狸包圍的幸福時光！
3:34:03 仙台燒肉大口吃起來！本格燒肉 カルビ大將超滿足

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#山形自由行 #宮城自由行 #銀山溫泉 #藏王樹冰 #狐狸村 #松島 #仙台牛舌 #冬季旅遊 #日本雪景 #東北追雪 #靜靜地去玩