Ginzan Onsen Fujiya is an eight-room inn in the middle of Ginzan Onsen, the old hot-spring street in Obanazawa, Yamagata. Founded in the Edo period, it was rebuilt to a design by Kengo Kuma’s office and reopened in 2006. Before you book, three things matter: all five baths are private and need no booking; check-in closes at 18:00, because the latest dinner start is 18:00; and busy dates can sell out within 30 minutes of opening.
Not to be confused with Fujiya Hotel in Hakone, a separate property.
What makes Ginzan Onsen Fujiya different?
Every room faces the Ginzan River and the street of wooden inns. The inn became a three-story wooden building in the Taisho era; the 2005 rebuild added screens of finely split bamboo, a hand-blown stained-glass panel 15 m wide and handmade Echizen paper on the walls. The site describes its idea as “non-everyday”: there are almost no signs inside apart from emergency exits, and some doors look like walls.
Which room type should I choose?
There are three types. Type A (three rooms) has its own toilet, shower and private bath; two are Western rooms with beds and one is a 10-mat Japanese room with futon, and you cannot choose which. The in-room baths use heated tap water, not hot-spring water. Type B and Type C are 10-mat Japanese rooms with a washbasin and toilet but no bath; Type B is on the 3rd floor, under the old Taisho-era beams.
How many people can share a room?
Rooms are planned for two. Three can share one room; a group of four needs two rooms. A solo guest pays, as a rule, the rate for two people minus one person’s meals.
Ginzan Onsen Fujiya at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 443 Ginzanshinpata, Obanazawa, Yamagata |
| Rooms | 8, all facing the Ginzan River (types A, B, C) |
| Check-in / out | 15:00–18:00 / by 10:00 |
| Baths | 5 private hot-spring baths, open 24 hours, no booking |
| Meals | Dinner and breakfast in your room |
| Standard plans | From 41,000 yen (Type C, weekday, per person, two to a room) |
| Booking window | 150 days ahead |
| Smoking | Not in rooms; a smoking space is available |
| Wi-Fi | Free |
From the official site and booking page, read October 14, 2026.
The private baths at Ginzan Onsen Fujiya
Do I need to book a bath?
No. All five baths are private: hiba wood, bamboo, stone, an underground bath and a “sky” bath, a roofed half-open-air tub with movable lattices. The inn says none needs a booking: take whichever is empty, at any hour of the day or night. The underground bath runs hot. There is no large shared bath.
What is the water like?
The spring is a sodium chloride and sulfate type, 60.3°C at the source. The FAQ says all five baths are free-flowing from the source, with water sometimes added to adjust the temperature.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
The official pages do not mention tattoos. The baths are private, but ask the inn before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Meals at Ginzan Onsen Fujiya
Where are meals served?
Dinner and breakfast are both served in your room (groups eat on the indoor terrace on the 1st floor). Dinner is Japanese kaiseki built on local food and produce from the mountains and sea of the Tohoku region.
Can the inn handle allergies?
The FAQ says the inn adjusts the menu as far as it can, but cannot meet every request. Tell it when you book.
Can I stay without dinner?
All listed plans include dinner and breakfast. For breakfast only, contact the inn first; it notes that Ginzan Onsen has no restaurants for dinner.
Prices, children and cancellation at Ginzan Onsen Fujiya
How much does a stay cost?
Per person per night with two meals, two to a room, the standard plans are 59,000 yen for Type A, 48,000 yen for Type B and 41,000 yen for Type C on weekdays, and 2,000 yen more on higher-rate dates. Three to a room costs 2,000 yen less each. The Ureshi kaiseki plan starts at 32,000 yen, and a weekday-only plan at 41,000 yen. The site says booking on the official page gives the lowest rate. Dates with the higher rate, and whether prices include tax, are worded differently on the Japanese and English pages; check the price on the booking calendar.
What do children cost?
The Japanese plan page lists 22,000 yen for elementary school children (7 to 12), and rates from 7,700 yen for younger children depending on meals and bedding. The inn may not accept children on some dates because of bedding, so call before you book.
What is the cancellation policy?
The current plan page lists 20 percent from 2 weeks before, 30 percent from 1 week before, 50 percent the day before and 100 percent on the day; moving a booking within 2 weeks also counts as a cancellation. An older English information page shows different terms, so check the rule on your booking. See our hotel cancellation guide.
Is there a bathing tax?
Obanazawa City sets a bathing tax of 150 yen per person per night; children under 12 are exempt.
Getting to Ginzan Onsen Fujiya in Ginzan Onsen
By train
Take the Yamagata Shinkansen from Tokyo to Oishida Station (about 190 minutes), then about 40 minutes by the inn’s shuttle or a local bus. The shuttle leaves Oishida at about 13:30 and 15:30 and must be booked separately after you reserve your stay; the return leaves Ginzan at about 10:30. Our Ginzan Onsen from Tokyo guide covers the route.
By car
Cars cannot enter the hot-spring street. Park at the inn’s lot near the entrance of Ginzan Onsen, call the inn on 0237-28-2141, and walk about 8 minutes; the inn sits in the middle of the street.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Ginzan Onsen Fujiya
- Bookings open 150 days ahead. The inn does not hold rooms or keep a waiting list.
- If no confirmation email arrives within 24 hours, the booking may not have gone through.
- Arrive by 18:00 or call; without contact, a booking may be treated as canceled.
- Book the Oishida shuttle yourself after booking the room.
- The nearest convenience store is about 30 minutes by car, so bring what you need.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ginzan Onsen Fujiya the same as Fujiya Hotel in Hakone?
Do I need to book the baths at Ginzan Onsen Fujiya?
What time is check-in at Ginzan Onsen Fujiya?
How far ahead can I book Ginzan Onsen Fujiya?
How do I get to Ginzan Onsen Fujiya without a car?
Bottom line (2026): Ginzan Onsen Fujiya is an eight-room, Kengo Kuma-designed inn on the Ginzan River with five private baths you never need to book and meals in your room. Book early on the official page, arrive by 18:00, and reserve the Oishida shuttle.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Ginzan Onsen Fujiya’s official pages: home, rooms, baths, plans, FAQ, access and reservations, the official English booking page, and Obanazawa City (bathing tax, Japanese). All were read on October 14, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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