Do you like hot spring trips? After standing all day or sitting for hours on end, your legs are stiff, your shoulders are tense, and your mind is exhausted…
You want to release it all and refresh both your body and mind!

But taking a trip to a famous hot spring area can be such a hassle… Don’t you sometimes feel that way?
If so, we want you to know this: in Yamagata Prefecture, you can enjoy hot springs easily!

In this article, we’ll introduce why Yamagata Prefecture is perfect for hot spring hopping and a helpful guidebook called the “Yamagata Onsen Passport” for those who want to “enjoy Yamagata’s hot springs at a good deal” or “go on a hot spring tour in Yamagata but don’t know how.”

Why is Yamagata Prefecture suitable for a hot spring trip?

Yamagata has many attractions perfect for travel, including hot springs, beautiful nature, delicious food, and sake! However, some people might find it far away and hard to imagine what’s there, or others may not have visited precisely because it’s local or nearby. Now, I’m going to share three reasons why I think Yamagata Prefecture is ideal for a hot spring trip.

Yamagata Prefecture: a hot spring paradise perfect for hot spring tours.

Do you know how many hot springs there are in Yamagata Prefecture?
They are introduced on Yamagata Prefecture’s official website as well, and there are over 130 hot spring resorts throughout the prefecture. Moreover, all 35 cities and towns have hot springs, so no matter where you go, you can enjoy them—making it a true kingdom of hot springs!

Therefore, Yamagata Prefecture is the perfect place for a hot spring tour!

You can tour hot springs in a short amount of time

Since there are hot springs in every city and town, you can reach them quickly by private car or rental car. Even within an hour by regular roads from Yamagata City, you can visit various hot spring areas such as Sagae Onsen, Tendo Onsen, and Higashine Onsen. It’s nice to have a distance that allows you to go on a whim without having to travel far.

You can also access them using public transportation

One reason Yamagata Prefecture is considered suitable for visiting hot springs is that you can get around not only by private car but also by using public transportation. It is also easily accessible from urban areas, taking roughly three hours by shinkansen from Tokyo Station.

For example, you can reach Akayu Onsen or Kaminoyama Onsen by train, and Zao Onsen is accessible by bus from Yamagata Station. By not having to drive, you can enjoy a drink after soaking in the hot springs. Even if you usually travel by car, taking public transportation can give you a mini-getaway experience.

However, unlike urban areas, trains and buses in Yamagata Prefecture run only about once or twice an hour, so please pay attention to departure times.

Solving Your Day-Trip Hot Spring Search Woes: “Yamagata Onsen Passport”

Yamagata Prefecture is full of hot springs, and I want to visit many different ones!
For people like that, day-trip hot springs are recommended. You can easily enjoy a hot spring without staying overnight.

But how should I search for them?
If you search ‘Yamagata hot springs,’ you’ll mostly find hotels. Even if you look up by hot spring area names, I’m not very familiar with them.
I want something where I can see day-trip hot spring locations and their features at a glance! One way to check this kind of information all in one place is the ‘Yamagata Onsen Passport’!

What is the ‘Yamagata Onsen Passport’?

The “Yamagata Onsen Passport” is a guidebook focused on day-use hot springs, published by the editorial team behind Yamagata’s information magazine “ZERO23”. A new edition is released every year, with updated content each time. As of January 2026, Vol. 11 has been issued.

This time, the day-use hot springs featured in “Yamagata Onsen Passport Vol. 11” include 82 hot springs in Yamagata, plus 10 hot springs in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, making a total of 92 hot springs! It’s quite a lot! Benefits are available at the listed facilities, and you can use the perks 2–3 times at a single facility.

The passport is valid from November 26, 2025, to November 25, 2026 (one year), and costs 1,000 yen (tax included). It is available at bookstores and convenience stores throughout Yamagata Prefecture.

Not only does it provide information, but it also comes with perks, which makes it feel like a great deal!
Another nice point is that, unlike the Lunch Passport (3 months) or Sweets Passport (5 months), the Yamagata Onsen Passport is valid for a whole year.
This allows you to enjoy a relaxing and leisurely onsen-hopping experience at your own pace.

In particular, this book is a great fit for those who frequently visit day-use onsens or want to go to the same onsen multiple times. On the other hand, for those planning an onsen trip mainly involving overnight stays or who only use onsens once in a while, they might find it difficult to fully use all the perks, making it feel a bit expensive.
Click here for information about the “Yamagata Onsen Passport”

Learn About the Spring Quality! Contents of the “Yamagata Onsen Passport”

Even if you don’t know about it or have seen it around, it can be hard to pick up if you don’t know what’s inside.
Here’s a brief introduction to its contents! I hope it will be helpful.

This time, the information featured in Yamagata Onsen Passport Vol.11 includes…

1. Name of the hot spring facility
2. Available hours
3. Available days
4. Types of baths
5. Availability of amenities such as shampoo and hair dryers
6. Photos of the facility
7. Features of the facility (history, interior, types and number of baths, spring quality, etc.)
8. Explanation of fees and plans
9. Address and map

It includes things like this.
It’s convenient to know the type of hot spring before entering the bath.
Even those with sensitive skin or who dislike the smell of sulfur can check in advance.
Also, you can view it without connecting to the internet, and it’s very easy to check the information of each facility at a glance without having to visit their websites.

And the most important thing is this!

10. Special benefits such as discounts on usage fees and complimentary soft drinks

are included!

Special benefits of the “Yamagata Onsen Passport”

Let me briefly introduce the special perks that might interest you.
First, each hot spring facility comes with 2 to 3 special perks.
The content of the perks varies depending on the facility.

For example:

• Discounts off the regular price (e.g., a certain amount off the bathing fee)
• Complimentary beverages such as soft drinks

In particular, the third perk can be more powerful than the first and second (for example, half off the regular price), making repeated visits even more rewarding!
For those who visit day-use hot springs once or twice a month, it seems that in just a few months, the benefits can easily cover the cost.

Please note that the benefits are only available to those who have a “Yamagata Onsen Passport,” and it can be used by one person per booklet. Also, there may be times when it cannot be used during busy periods or on specific days. Since it cannot be used after the expiration date, it is recommended to use it planfully within the valid period.

How to Use the “Yamagata Onsen Passport”

Here, we will explain how to use the “Yamagata Onsen Passport.”

1. When paying the bathing fee, present your “Yamagata Onsen Passport” at the reception.
2. Have them mark that you have used the benefit and receive the benefit.

When you present your “Yamagata Onsen Passport,” there will be explanations on how to use it and information about the facilities, so please follow the instructions of the reception staff after presenting it.
Those who have used Yamagata’s Lunch Passport or Sweets Passport will probably find it easy to imagine. You can receive great benefits in just two simple steps, and it’s easy!

Summary

Yamagata Prefecture is surrounded by rich nature and is full of attractions such as delicious ramen and soba, sake and wine. It is also a hot spring paradise with countless onsen. For hot spring trips, the author recommends Yamagata Prefecture, and for exploring Yamagata’s hot springs, here’s a reliable companion: the “Yamagata Onsen Passport”!

There are many onsen facilities that even the author, who lives in Yamagata, didn’t know about, and it comes with great perks. This might be a chance to discover nearby hot springs, or if there’s a discount, it could be the perfect reason to start a hot spring tour. If you’re unsure how to spend your holidays, why not enjoy sightseeing in Yamagata, a hot spring paradise, with the passport in hand?