Hijiori Onsen

Deep in the mountains of central Yamagata, in the crater of an ancient volcano, hides one of the country’s oldest and most atmospheric hot springs: Hijiori Onsen, said to have been discovered some 1,200 years ago.

Why It’s Interesting

The village is a single, lantern-lined street of weathered wooden inns, with hot, mineral-rich water so plentiful it bubbles up all over the crater floor. But the thing that sets Hijiori apart is its daily morning market: from late spring to late autumn, local grandmothers line the street at dawn, selling mountain vegetables, pickles, and wild plants they gathered that morning, often laid out right on the ground. Wandering the market in your inn’s yukata, fresh from a bath, is a slice of rural Japan that’s almost vanished elsewhere — slow, warm, and genuine.

Best Time to Visit

Year-round for the onsen; come between late April and November to catch the morning market, the village’s signature experience. Best as an overnight stay.

Getting There

Remote: a winding bus or drive from Shinjo Station up into the mountains. The journey in is part of the spell.