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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Okura
Visit Okura for a half‑day on a day‑trip from Shinjo, add an overnight if you want onsen bathing.
Okura is a small mountain village in Yamagata Prefecture, famed for Hijiori Onsen and traditional kokeshi. It can be seen in a few hours from Shinjo, but a night lets you enjoy the hot‑springs and local ryokan meals.
- Country
- Japan
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Mar (cold, possible snow road closures)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥5,000–7,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥7,000–12,000 excl. bed · High ¥12,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Soba at Kotobukiya | ¥600–900 |
| Ramen at Okura Shokudo | ¥700–1,200 |
| Hijiori Morning Market veg basket | ¥200–400 |
| Kokeshi souvenir | ¥1,000–3,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GAJ · Yamagata Airport
- Shuttle or bus to Shinjo Station, then local bus to Okura (check schedules)
Typical fares
- Shinjo → Hijiori bus
- about ¥800 one‑way, 30 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Shinjo Station is the nearest JR station (Yamagata Line). From there take a local bus (about 30 min) to Hijiori Onsen; most ryokan provide a shuttle. Walkable village centre.
See and do
Known for
- Hijiori Onsen
- Hijiori kokeshi
- Jizokura shrine
- Shikamura rice terraces
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hijiori Onsen | JR Shinjo → bus 30 min, then walk to ryokan | ≈1 h total |
| Jizokura shrine | Walk 10 min from village centre | ≈15 min round‑trip |
| Shikamura rice terraces | Local bus or walk 20 min uphill | ≈30 min |
Sleep
- Maruya Ryokan
- Traditional onsen ryokan; meals with local vegetables.
- Motokawarayu
- Ryokan with seasonal menu; free shuttle from Shinjo Station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Where is the onsen? | 温泉はどこですか？onsen wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Winter snow can block the mountain road; check bus schedules in Jan–Mar.
- Onsen baths may close early in the off‑season; confirm opening hours.
Okura is safe; main risk is winter road conditions and occasional hot‑spring water temperature extremes – ask staff about safe bathing limits.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Okura yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hijiori Onsen
- Hijiori kokeshi
- Jizokura shrine
- Shikamura rice terraces
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Yamagata Prefecture tourism board: www.yamagata-tourism.jp/en/
- Wikivoyage: Okura, revision 5078618 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5078618
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/okura). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.