15 Things to Do in Yamagata

You can enjoy Yamagata year-round, with cherry blossoms in spring, lush greenery in summer, colorful foliage in autumn, and snowy landscapes in winter.
For the best hot spring experience, visit from September to February to soak in the baths while admiring autumn leaves or snowy landscapes.

From Tokyo, you can reach Yamagata in just two and a half hours by taking the Yamagata Shinkansen.
If you prefer flying, it takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes from Osaka's Itami Airport to Yamagata Airport.
From Tokyo's Haneda Airport, it takes about 1 hour to Yamagata Airport. The short travel times from major cities make it convenient to visit Yamagata.

This hot spring resort was developed along with the Nobesawa Silver Mine which prospered in the Edo Period. After the mine was closed, it was turned into a therapeutic onsen resort until a flood destroyed it in 1913. By early Showa Period, local businesses have helped restore the village close to the current landscape with western-style wooden multi-story buildings on either side of Ginzan River.

Natural hot springs in Zao Onsen are said to have opened in 110 A.D. The strong acidic sulfur spring is known as the “Springs of Beauty” for its effects of sterilizing and strengthening the skin. Zao Onsen boasts an abundance of hot water with 8,700 tons per day from 47 sources, and there are three public bathhouses, four footbaths, and five day-spa facilities scattered in the hot spring town.

Mogami River is a prominent grade A river, counted as one of Japan’s Three Greatest Rapids. The middle area of it (From Furukuchi District in Tozawa Village to Kiyokawa District in Shonai Town) is a 15km-long scenic gorge called Mogami Gorge.

This mountain temple, of the Tendai sect of Buddhism, is properly known as “Hōjusan Risshakuji Temple.”
It is a historical place, founded in 860 by Jikaku Daishi.
It is believed that, with each step you take up the 1015 stone steps, your worldly desires are purged. Furthermore, it has also been worshipped since ancient times as a temple that helps to cut out bad relationships and forge good bonds.

The only aquarium in Yamagata by the coast of Tsuruoka City, which exhibits more than 60 species of jellyfish. It is known for the world’s top care and different kinds of exhibitions.
The highlight is the Jellyfish Dream Theater, which is the aquarium, 5m in diameter. This is the only place where you can watch 10,000 Moon Jellyfish slow-dance in the giant aquarium. Besides jellyfish, there are nearly 140 creatures displayed, which are seen in the sea and rivers around Shonai Region in Yamagata. It is also fun to watch seals and sea lions, the idols of the aquarium.

This earthen storage for rice is in Sakata, once a lively port city where rice was shipped out. Sakai Family, the former domain lord, built 14 storehouses in 1893. 12 of them are standing today. 9 of the 12 were still used up until the end of 2022 to store 10,800 tons of rice, designated in 2021 as a national historic site.

This brick edifice was built in 1916 as Yamagata’s prefectural office and the capitol building. The prefecture’s total budget’s 25%, 400,000 yen, was spent for this early-modern British revival style architecture.

Yonezawa is a castle town in Yonezawa Domain which was governed by the feudal warlord Uesugi Kenshin and his family. Many heroes came out from here such as Uesugi Yozan, Edo Period’s great governor. In Yonezawa, spots related to the Uesugi Clan dot around the Yonezawa Castle remain, such as the Uesugi Family’s mausoleum.

This 414-meter-high mountain lies northwest of Mt. Gassan, the main peak of the three mountains of Dewa. A 29-meter-high, five-story pagoda blends into a grove of cedar trees, a few minutes' walk along a mountain path from Zuishinmon gate by the bus stop. It is said to have been built in 938 by Taira no Masakado, and it is one of the few remaining Buddhist structures in Mt. Haguro's Shinto-Buddhist syncretism. It was designated a national treasure in 1966.

This shrine stands in Matsugasaki Park, which is located on the grounds of the former Yonezawa Castle. Flags reading "Bi" and "Ryu" flutter in front of them. A grand nagare-zukuri style shrine is located in the center of the large precinct. It was founded in 1871. Many tourists visit there because it is believed to bring good luck and make wishes come true.

Higashine City produces abundant fruits such as cherries and apples. Cherries are their top produce at 3,600 tons a year, greater than any other city in Japan. The main cherry species, Sato Nishiki, was created in Higashine. Before JR Sakurambo-Higashine Station, there is a bronze statue of Eisuke Sato in honor of his creation of Sato Nishiki.

The Zao Juhyo - Natural beauty that can only be seen during winter.
It is also known as “Snow Monsters,” the mystical sight of giant juhyo.

With 26 courses and 34 lifts, this is the largest snow resort in Japan. The big slope is made up of 6 areas with an array of courses for beginners and the advanced. The quality of snow is so good that skiers and snowboarders flock here seeking for the fluffy powder snow.

Takahata Town in Yamagata Prefecture is nestled between Fukushima to the south and Miyagi to the east. This area, surrounded by mountains, boasts rich natural landscapes and is renowned for rice farming and grape cultivation. The town leads the nation in the municipal-level production of Chardonnay and Delaware grapes, which are commonly used in winemaking.

This is a city park built on the ruins of "Yamagata Castle", which was recognized as one of the "100 Great Castles of Japan". "Yamagata Castle" is one of the largest outline-style flat castles in Japan, surrounded by three moats and earthen mounds in the Honmaru, Ninomaru, and Sanomaru areas. The present castle is believed to be the prototype of the one built by Yoshimitsu Mogami (1546-1614), the 11th lord of the castle. The park is part of the Honmaru, Ninomaru and Sanomaru.