Ginzan Onsen at Night

Ginzan Onsen at night is pure magic, like stepping into a scene from a Ghibli film. Nestled in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture, this hot spring town transforms after dark into an ethereal vision—warm lanterns glowing softly, their reflections shimmering on the Ginzan River, while the beautifully preserved Taisho-era ryokan exude a timeless charm. And let’s talk about the visuals—because wow, did the little Color-Skopar 28mm do an incredible job capturing it all. Despite not being a fast lens and shooting at night, it held its own, delivering crisp, beautifully rendered images with that classic Voigtländer character. Luckily, the high ISO performance of the Leica M11 came to the rescue, handling the low light with impressive detail and minimal noise. The result? A stunning showcase of the town’s glowing ambiance, from the intricate latticework of Notoya Ryokan to the mist rising from hidden onsen.

Can you spot the difference between these two shots? The first was taken wide open, while the second was stopped down to f/4. The result? The soft, dreamy glow of the lantern in the first image transforms into crisp, defined sunstars in the second. Which one do you prefer?

Here are a few more shots. Notice the absence of sunstars? That’s a clear sign they were taken wide open, allowing the lanterns to maintain their soft, glowing ambiance instead of forming crisp starbursts.