Yamagata hot spring resort offers discounts for heavy snow

by TATSURO SAKATA/ Staff Writer
December 22, 2024

Villagers in a New Year festival walk through snow-covered Hijiori Onsen resort in Okura, Yamagata Prefecture. (Asahi photo)

YAMAGATA--A hot spring resort in this prefecture renowned for its heavy snowfall is offering discounts in accommodation and bathing charges for visitors when at least 40 centimeters of snow falls during a 24-hour period.

The Hijiori Onsen resort is in the village of Okura, northern Yamagata Prefecture, an area known for one of the nation’s heaviest snowfalls.

Guests at the 15 ryokan traditional inns will be entitled to a discount of 2,000 yen ($13) in accommodation charges per night if the Japan Meteorological Agency records snowfall of 40 cm or higher over a 24-hour period as of 3 p.m. two days before.

Visitors to three bathing facilities will also get a 300-yen discount on bathing charges.

The depth of snow hit a record 445 cm on Feb. 13, 2018, at the Hijiori Onsen resort .

Guests will be entitled to a discount of up to 10,000 yen in accommodation charges per night if the depth of snow reaches 446 cm or higher as of 3 p.m. two days earlier.

The discount will be available only once during the campaign, which runs through March 2, excluding the New Year holiday period between Dec. 30 and Jan. 7.