Ginzan Onsen's economy grew due to silver mining and production and eventually transitioned to tourism when it opened dozens of hot spring resorts and ryokan along the central river that runs through the town.

[1] The mountains that surround this town yield rich hot spring water that is used both in the private hotels and public baths in the city center.

On the far side of town a 22-foot waterfall, Shirogane-no-Taki Falls,[3] emerges from the mountains not far from the old silver mine, Nobesawa Ginzan.

[2] There are no modern buildings within the town, the architecture is constructed from bare timber framing and white plaster, that were built during the Taisho Era (1912-1926).

[8] The Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, reconfigured and redesigned a 100-year old, 10,000 square-foot onsen hotel, Fujiya, by "grafting modern elements" onto the historic structure creating a hybrid of old and new that has been called "radical and subtle."

His design retained the original post-and-beam facade, adding a sliding glass entry wall, a 2-story high atrium space, larger windows and reflecting pools.