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Yamagata

From Yamadera's trails to Zao Onsen's hot springs

About Yamagata
Mount Zao summit (Photo: Tom Roseveare / JT)

Top Attractions in Yamagata

Yamagata Top 10

Upcoming Yamagata Events

Yutagawa Onsen Plum Festival

Yutagawa Onsen Plum Festival

Mar 30th - Mar 31st

The Yamagata hot springs town of Yutagawa Onsen has many good reasons to visit, and if you're a flower lover the Yutagawa Onsen..

Free Entry
Tendo Ningen Shogi

Tendo Ningen Shogi

Apr 13th - Apr 14th

Tendo Ningen Shogi is a “Human Chess” event that occurs every April in the city of Tendo, Yamagata. Set under rows of blooming..

2 Free Entry

Where to eat in Yamagata

Places to stay in Yamagata

Fujiya Ginzan Ryokan

Fujiya Ginzan Ryokan

Clifford Bernstein

The Fujiya Ginzan is a modern architectural accomplishment in a centuries old ryokan, breathing new life into a traditionally luxurious..

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Latest Yamagata Reports

Tsuruoka's Zenpoji

Tsuruoka's Zenpoji

Arlene Bastion

Zenpoji's plain wood structures beautifully highlight its complex carvings of flora and fauna. Its tradition of a dualistic..

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About Yamagata

Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Tohoku
Island Honshu
Capital Yamagata
Population 1,168,924
Area 9323.15 km²

Located in the Tohoku region and bordering the Sea of Japan, Yamagata Prefecture (山形県, Yamagata-ken) is filled with beautiful natural landscapes.

Risshaku-ji, or Yama-dera, is a temple famous for its magnificent view after a 1,000-step climb to get to the top, while the five-storey pagoda at Mount Haguro (part of the Dewa Sanzan Mountains) is also a must-see destination for tourists.

After visiting those holy sites, reinvigorate yourself at one of Yamagata’s many hot springs, with the ones at Ginzan, Kaminoyama, and Zao (also a popular ski resort) being the most renowned. If you visit in early autumn, don’t miss out on imoni, the prefecture’s special potato soup.

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