Yamagata

Yamagata (山形) is the prefectural capital of Yamagata prefecture. Zao Onsen, the largest ski resort in Tohoku that doubles as a hot spring resort, is within city limits, but it's 40 minutes away bus and covered in a separate article.

See: 17
Do: 3
Eat: 8
Drink: 4
Buy: 1

Banner: Derivative work by Shaundd . Other authors listed on source image page., CC BY-SA 3.0

33 places

See

Bunshōkan

文翔館

A large structure constructed during the Taisho Period after British Renaissance architecture. It was used as the Yamagata Prefectural Government Building. There are a few lavishly decorated rooms that visitors can enter and look around.

Closed · opens 9 amFree

Eat

Classic Cafe

クラシックカフェ

An Italian restaurant in a rustic setting, its most famous dish is its omelette (omurice), but Classic Cafe also offers a variety of pasta dishes and pizzas.

Lunch 11:30-16:00, dinner 17:30-23:00

Eat

Gran Rock

カフェレストラングランロック

Their signature dish is the Omurice, but they also serve Yamagata beef burgers, pizza, and a variety of pasta dishes.

Closed · opens 11 am

Eat

Hanazen

花膳

A dinner spot well-known for serving up local specialties, including Yamagata imoni, a taro and meat dish, along with a variety of local wines and sake.

Closed · opens 5 pm

Drink

Hotnaru Yokocho

ほっとなる横丁

An enclave of traditional yatai foodstalls; an escape from the urban jungle located right in the middle of it. Each stall has its own unique menu but all of them work to use and feature local Yamagata products and produce.

Buy

Juichiya

十一屋

A well-known local confectionary shop. They offer a variety of cookies, cakes, jellies, and other snacks, typically featuring specialties from Yamagata, such as local rice or the many famous fruits grown here. It's a very popular place to purchase souvenir snacks. They have a few shops around the city, including a small one in the basement of Yamagata Station. This location is the main shop. It includes an attached restaurant.

Closed · opens 9 am

See

Karamatsu Kannondo

唐松観音堂

One of the 33 temples of the Mogami pilgrimage. It's noted for its architecture, jutting out of the mountainside overlooking the surrounding area. Just below the temple stands the original Nabetaro (鍋太郎), a named nabe pot that was used during the first "Best Imoni-kai in Japan Festival" (日本一の芋煮会フェスティバル) to make imoni to serve guests. They no longer have need for this one, since they've since made larger pots for the festival, so it stands here as a memorial and fun photo op.

See

Kyōdokan

山形市郷土館

Built in 1876 as a hospital, it's known for its unique architecture. It was registered as an Important Cultural Property in 1966. The exhibits show the building's history and information about medical studies during that time period.

Closed · opens 9 amFree

See

Mogami Yoshiaki Historical Museum

最上義光歴史館

Mogami Yoshiaki was a daimyo of the Dewa Province. He is credited for vastly expanding Yamagata Castle and transforming the area from a modest, somewhat run-down town into a respectable modern city. He fought many battles in the region and gained territory for siding with the Tokugawa during the Battle of Sekigahara to make his domain one of the top in the nation at the time. The museum includes exhibits about the city's history in addition to those about Mogami.

See

Momijigawa Ravine

紅葉川渓谷

Momijigawa Ravine is a scenic valley near Yamadera. It's a popular place for hiking, offering many nice views over the river and also features some waterfalls. It's especially vibrant in the autumn among the red, orange, and yellow leaves.

See

Museum of Yamagata University

山形大学附属博物館

Contains natural science exhibits and displays on some of the university's studies and research findings.

09:30-17:00 (closed weekends and holidays)

Eat

Ramen Uchoten Evolution

らーめん有頂天Evolution

A ramen restaurant serving its own original ramen dishes, as well as normal ramen, gyoza, and other foods.

See

Seifū-sō

清風荘

A historic building with a nice garden. It was constructed as part of a temple and served as its garden until the Meiji Restoration. The temple buildings are long gone but the garden remains. The tea house was built in 1954.

Viewing the garden is free, but you can have tea within the building for a fee

See

Seikai Kunii Contemporary Calligraphy Memorial Museum

國井誠海記念館

Seikai Kunii founded the Seishinsha, a group that studies modern calligraphy, in 1917 and this museum features his calligraphy, calligraphy he has collected, and special exhibits along with information about modern calligraphy (in Japanese).

Sat Sun 10:00-17:00¥300

See

Tarumizu Ruins

垂水遺跡

Also known as Minenoura (峯の浦), it is considered the Ura-Yamadera (裏山寺), this was once a place of training for mountain worshippers, called yamabushi. It is also where Jikaku Daishi was said to have made the decision to build Yamadera. The area features different rock formations with the main highlight being a wooden torii gate in a honeycomb-shaped rock formation. It's possibly the city's best hidden gem.

Eat

Torien

鳥縁

Serves Japanese food such as oyakodon, raw eggs over rice, gyoza, and chicken cutlets.

Lunch 11:30-14:00, evening 17:00-00:00

See

Yamadera

山寺

Commonly known as Yamadera, the temple's actual name is Ryūshaku-ji (立石寺) Temple (also sometimes called Risshakuji). Founded in 860 AD by the priest Ennin, the sacred flame inside is tended everyday and has been burning for those thousand years. The name of the temple means "Standing Stones Temple" for the fantastically wind and water sculpted stones on the mountainside and all along the way up. It's a steep 1110 steps from the entrance to the complex all the way to the Oku-no-in sanctuary at the top, but the view of the mountains and countryside spread out before you, especially from the Godaigo viewing platform, seems little changed over the centuries, and is worth the effort. There are also a number of important cultural treasures - Buddhist sculptures, mandalas and such - held and displayed by the temple, whose priests have strongly resisted the bid to become nationally designated as such, preferring to tend the temples, sculptures and other treasures as they always have, without the bureaucratic regulation official designation entails..If you visit during the winter months, the little town is eerily beautiful and completely covered in snow. Local shopkeepers will rent out goloshes and sell heat packs to keep you warm on the uphill climb. There are few visitors then but the climb is worth it on a clear day when the view across the valley is breathtaking. Allow at least 2-3 hours for your climb up and back.

¥500

See

Yamadera Bashō Museum

山寺芭蕉記念館

Across the steep valley the temple overlooks, and up a short walk to the opposite hilltop is the lovely park of Fuga-no-Kuni, where you will find this museum featuring exhibitions of Basho's poetry and scrolls. The famous poet, Matsuo Basho, stopped here on his journey through the Tohoku Region. The museum gives information about him, his travels, and the poems he wrote here at Yamadera. Information is available in English, a rarity in Japanese museums.

¥400

See

Yamagata Castle

山形城

The original castle was constructed in 1357 by Kaneyori Mogami but the castle was greatly expanded by Yoshiaki Mogami nearly 200 years later. The castle contained a palace building and other structures protected by multiple walled sections with turrets surrounded by a moat. It was the largest castle in the Tohoku region, but it never had a donjon. Yoshiaki also built up the surrounding area as a respectable castle town, both expanding it and improving the existing infrastructure. He is sometimes called the "founder" of Yamagata City, even though people had been living there long before his lifetime. None of the original structures survive today however, efforts are ongoing to rebuild each part of the former castle. Reconstructions have been made out of wood to stay true to the original castle. You can wander the castle grounds and enter the Ninomaru East Gate building to learn a bit more about the castle. The JR Ou Main Line travels directly along the moat past the Ninomaru Gate. It's fun for trainspotters to get pictures of the trains with the castle but the downside is that it limits the angles from which you can view it. The site is listed as one of the top 100 castles in Japan.

Closed · opens 5 amFree

See

Yamagata City Industrial History Museum

山形市産業歴史資料館

A small museum showcasing some of the city's top quality products, particularly Yamagata imono (metal casting).

Closed · opens 8:30 amFree

See

Yamagata Museum of Art

山形美術館 yamagata bijutsukan

The museum's permanent collection contains works by Kichiro Hasegawa, Matsuo Basho, and Claude Monet. Special exhibits typically show for about a month at a time, so check the museum website to see what will be featured during your visit.

Closed · opens 10 am¥500

See

Yamagata Prefectural Museum

山形県立博物館

A museum with exhibits of historic artifacts from Yamagata Prefecture. It is home to the famous "Jomon Goddess" (Jomon no Megami), a ceramic statue of a goddess forged in the Jomon Period. For Japanese history buffs, it's worth a visit just to see this object. The prefecture's famous pilgrimage shrines (the Dewa Sanzan) and temple (Yamadera) also have informative exhibits. In addition to the historical exhibits, the museum also has displays on the local culture, rocks and minerals, and flora and fauna.

Yamagata Traditional Kokeshikan

やまがた伝統こけし館 yamagata dentō kokeshikan

The Kokeshikan has displays of old kokeshi and explanations of the various types of kokeshi. Visitors can also try painting their own kokeshi dolls.

¥300 to paint your own kokeshi

Do Not mapped

Hanagasa Festival

花笠まつり

The Hanagasa Festival is Yamagata's most famous festival and the prefectural representative among the top festivals of the Tohoku Region. It began as a single dance in the Zao Summer Festival and branched out as its own distinct celebration in 1965. It is set apart from other summer dancing festivals by its use of flower hats (hanagasa) by all participants. The festival has become so popular that many cities and towns throughout Yamagata Prefecture hold their own Hanagasa Festivals, but this is the original and the largest.

August 5-7

Do Not mapped

Japan's Top Imoni-kai Festival

日本一の芋煮会フェスティバル

A festival where the local Yamagata imoni is cooked on in a cauldron 6 meters in diameter. The soup is so large it is stirred with excavators. People come to see the spectacle and of course get a taste of the imoni.

In Sept on the day before Respect for the Aged Day

Drink