Tourist Information of Yamagata

Yamagata City is the central city of Yamagata Prefecture, and is home to Zao, famous for its hot springs and skiing, the famous "Yamadera Temple" built on the cliffs of the mountain, the "Yamagata Prefecture Tourism and Product Center" where you can find a variety of local souvenirs and gourmet food, Tendo City, famous as a town of shogi, and ryokans such as Kamino-yu Onsen, which is a regular in the national hot spring inn rankings. From early summer, you can enjoy cherry picking, which is famous throughout the country, at various farms and tours are also popular.

Sakata is a port town that prospered in the Edo period by transporting specialty products such as fish and rice on the "Kitamaebune" ships to major cities in Japan, including Sakata. As a remnant of that time, the "Yamakura Warehouse," which was built as an annex to the "Sakata Rice and Grain Exchange" at the time, still exists today and can be entered as a museum. Another building houses souvenir shops and galleries, making it a symbol of Sakata. You can also see a 1/2 scale model ship of the Kitamaebune at the Hiwada Mountain Park. As there is a port, there is also an abundance of seafood, and as a rice-producing area, sake brewing is also thriving. You can enjoy delicious gourmet food while touching on history.

The city of Yonezawa is known as the birthplace of Uesugi Kenshin and for its Yonezawa beef. The Uesugi Shrine, which enshrines Uesugi Kenshin, a hero of the Warring States period who dedicated his life to battle, is still supported by the citizens and is also a famous cherry blossom spot. And of course, you can't visit Yonezawa without trying its delicious Yonezawa beef. In fact, Yamagata Prefecture has the highest consumption of ramen in the country, and there are many delicious famous shops. Among them, Yonezawa has a famous shop that always ranks high in popularity. It's a gourmet food that you must try, combining delicious ramen and Yonezawa beef!

Tsuruoka is known for its facility, the Tsuruoka City Kamo Aquarium. Its unique feature is its focus on jellyfish exhibits. This one-of-a-kind exhibit, known as the "Jellyfish Dream House," has attracted many visitors from both within and outside the prefecture since its opening, thanks to the many innovations that have gone into it. The highlight is a circular tank with a diameter of 5 meters, where the sight of jellyfish floating leisurely is quite fantastic. Of course, there are also many other exhibits of various creatures, making it a must-visit place. In addition, there is Mount Tsukiyama, which has been selected as one of Japan's 100 famous mountains, as well as the "Studio Sedic Shonai Open Set," which boasts the largest site area in Japan and has been the location for numerous movies and dramas set in the Sengoku period. A popular way to tour the park is by bus.

A town that prospered as the castle town of the Shinjo clan, who ruled the Mogami region for over 200 years. The current Shinjo Castle ruins are enshrined with a shrine and are known as "Mogami Park." It is also known as a cherry blossom spot, and the "Shinjo Kadoyaki Festival," where people grill and eat herring, is held in the spring and is very lively. It is also gaining attention as a hidden soba noodle spot, with many delicious soba noodle shops.