Historic places in Yamagata

Historic places in Yamagata

1. 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 am·Free

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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 am·Free

6. 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 am·Free

7. 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.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Yamagata (CC BY-SA 4.0).