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Yamagata

Temples, hot springs, and orchard country.

Popular keywords#Nature & scenic views#Hot springs & wellness#Architecture#Rebirth#Antique & Buddhist art#Workshops & kilns#Mountain worship#Art museum#Museum
Crown of Lenten rose · Public domain

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Tsuruoka

Dainichibo

It enshrines a sokushinbutsu, a self-mummified monk: an ascetic of the Yudonosan faith who made a buddha of his own body.

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東京都下おじさん · CC BY-SA 4.0

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YamagataArt & Crafts, Shrines & Temples · 24 entriesTsuruokaShrines & Temples, Architecture · 21 entriesSakataArchitecture, Nature & Scenery · 10 entriesYonezawaShrines & Temples, Art & Crafts · 8 entriesTendoShrines & Temples, Art & Crafts · 7 entriesKaminoyamaShrines & Temples, Castles & History · 5 entries
FEATUREYamagata now (autumn)Zao and Mogami Gorge turn colorful as pears and imoni come into season.See the feature Raita Futo · CC BY 2.0
See Zao's Snow MonstersRide a ropeway into the mountains to view enormous natural snow formations.Stroll Ginzan OnsenStroll in a yukata past wooden inns and gas lamps along the riverside.Pick Yamagata CherriesPick ripe cherries directly from orchard trees in early summer.

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JAPAN GUIDE

Things worth knowing about Japan

No worries even on a first trip to Japan. Useful things to know, explained clearly.

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Q. What do people get wrong about IC cards (Suica, PASMO) in Japan?

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Q. What do people get wrong about coin lockers and luggage forwarding in Japan?

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Q. What do people get wrong about Golden Week, Obon and New Year travel?

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REGIONAL SPECIALTIES

Meet the Japan you don't know yet.

It is not only the big cities. The regions are full of charm, and special experiences you can only have in each place are waiting.

Tatenokawa ShuzoNarushima WareTakahata Winery

Value Village

Japan's value, to the world.

Regional culture, tradition, food, sightseeing, nature and people. A directory that delivers the appeal of each to the whole world.

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Value VillageLocal Value, Global Reach.
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INSTAGRAM / 6

Official and local Instagram photos

Local governments, tourism accounts and local posts are shown with official embeds. Photos are not stored on Value Village; they link to the original posts.

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THINGS TO DO / 6

Things to do in this prefecture

Choose from what you can only do here.

01Climb YamaderaClimb stone steps through cedar woods to a cliffside temple overlooking the valley.See related entries →Cp9asngf · CC BY-SA 4.002Stroll Ginzan OnsenStroll in a yukata past wooden inns and gas lamps along the riverside.See related entries →lumoplank · CC003See Zao's Snow MonstersRide a ropeway into the mountains to view enormous natural snow formations.See related entries →Raita Futo · CC BY 2.004Cruise the Mogami RiverDrift through seasonal gorge scenery while listening to the boatman's songs.See related entries →Crown of Lenten rose · CC BY 3.005Pick Yamagata CherriesPick ripe cherries directly from orchard trees in early summer.See related entries →FreakRob at wts wikivoyage 02:36, 13 · CC BY-SA 3.006Pilgrimage to Dewa SanzanWalk Haguro's cedar-lined stone path and discover centuries of mountain worship.See related entries →FreakRob at wts wikivoyage 02:36, 13 · CC BY-SA 3.0

NEED TO KNOW

At a glance

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BEST TIME TO TRAVEL

What each season brings

LOCAL FOOD / 12

Local food

What people have long eaten in this place. We collect the dishes themselves, not restaurants.

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Hiyashiru

Rehydrated freeze-dried konjac, uchimame (flattened soybeans) and seasonal vegetables that have been cooked and cooled are dressed in a broth made from the soaking liquid of dried scallops and dried shiitake mushrooms with soy sauce and mirin, then chilled so the flavors blend.

Area：Okitama area, including Yonezawa

Source：Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), "Our Regional Cuisines"

MICHI-NO-EKI / 24

Michi-no-Eki roadside stations

RestInformationLocal links

Rest facilities registered by Japan's national government. Each has parking and toilets open 24 hours, and by definition includes a facility that sells local products. This is where the making and the food of this prefecture can actually be bought.

There are 24 stations in this prefecture in all (national registry).

Source: MLIT register of Michi-no-Eki

LOCAL ACCOUNTS / 2

People posting this area

Japanese-language accounts that post about this area.

These are third-party accounts. They are not affiliated with Value Village and this is not an endorsement.

CITIES & TOWNS / 16

Find by city or town

Sorted by number of entries. Start from the name of a town.

Yamagata 24Tsuruoka 21Sakata 10Yonezawa 8Tendo 7Kaminoyama 5Shinjo 3Sagae 3Nagai 2Shirataka 2Obanazawa 2Tozawa 2Nanyo 1Oishida 1Kahoku 1Takahata 1

INTERESTS / 15

Find by interest

Only the interests found in this prefecture.

Where locals eat!1 entries

To the list Dewa Sanzan Jinja · FreakRob at wts wikivoyage 02:36, 13 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Shrines & Temples30 entries

Dewa Sanzan Jinja ／ Risshakuji (Yamadera)

To the list Sakata Hiyoriyama · Kasadera · CC BY 2.0

Nature & Scenery50 entries

Sakata Hiyoriyama ／ Yamadera Okunoin

To the list Ginzan Onsen · lumoplank · CC0

Hot Springs24 entries

Ginzan Onsen ／ Zao Onsen

To the list Yonezawa Beef · Jpatokal · CC BY-SA 4.0

Historic Districts2 entries

Yonezawa Beef ／ Yamadera

To the list Kaminoyama-jo · KQuhen · CC BY-SA 4.0

Castles & History2 entries

Kaminoyama-jo ／ Shonai Han

To the list Bunshokan · 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0

Architecture12 entries

Bunshokan ／ Former Saiseikan Hospital

To the list Sanno Club · Ebiebi2 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Museums14 entries

Sanno Club ／ Yamagata Prefectural Museum

To the list Yamagata Museum of Art · 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0

Art & Crafts31 entries

Yamagata Museum of Art ／ Yamadera Goto Museum

To the list Zao Snow Monsters · Raita Futo · CC BY 2.0

Contemporary Art5 entries

Zao Snow Monsters ／ Tsuruoka Art Forum

To the list Tendo Shogi Piece · MChew · Public domain

Craft Experiences26 entries

Tendo Shogi Piece ／ Asahimachi Wine

To the list Kuki Shrine · Shindo hiromi · CC BY-SA 4.0

Culture & History3 entries

Kuki Shrine ／ Inu-no-miya and Neko-no-miya

To the list Hanagasa Matsuri · Crown of Lenten rose · Public domain

Festivals1 entries

Hanagasa Matsuri

To the list Denroku Zao no Mori Factory · 毒島みるく · CC0

Food & Markets14 entries

Denroku Zao no Mori Factory ／ Dewazakura Shuzo

To the list Kosugi-no-Osugi (Totoro Tree) · contri from Yonezawa-Shi, Yamagata, Ja… · CC BY-SA 2.0

Experiences15 entries

Kosugi-no-Osugi (Totoro Tree) ／ Mogamigawa Boat Ride Mogamikyo Basho Line Kanko

To the list Yunohama Onsen · 愉海亭みやじま · Public domain

Stays2 entries

Yunohama Onsen ／ Shirogane Falls

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HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights of this prefecture

From entries with clearly licensed photos.

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Shrines & Temples
Tsuruoka

Dewa Sanzan Jinja

Haguro is the present, Gassan the past and death, Yudono the future and rebirth. To walk the three in order has long been called a journey of rebirth: the meaning is in the sequence itself. The stone stairway through the cedars runs to 2,446 steps.

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SMILE NEWS / 136

Smile news from Japan and the world

Stories that lift your spirits a little, collected with their sources.

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Yamagata

Mt. Chokai and Tobishima Nominated for UNESCO Global Geopark

On October 5, the Japanese Geoparks Committee decided to nominate Chokaisan-Tobishima, which spans Akita and Yamagata prefectures, as a UNESCO Global Geopark. UNESCO could decide as early as spring 2028; if approved, it would be Japan's 12th.

source: Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun (Kyodo News)
Patagonia National Park, Chile

Women rangers return Darwin's rheas to the wild in Chile

In Chile's Patagonia National Park, a women-led ranger team returned 13 Darwin's rheas to the wild in April 2026. Working with the Rewilding Chile Foundation, they care for the birds around the clock; surveys once estimated only about 11 to 15 remained.

source: Mongabay
Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe

New 210-million-year-old dinosaur species named from Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba shore

A new dinosaur species, Musango matusadonaensis, has been described from rocks about 210 million years old in Matusadona National Park on the shore of Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. The bipedal, not-yet-adult animal was about 4.5 metres long, and the find suggests Zimbabwe's dinosaur fauna differed from South Africa's.

source: Phys.org (The Conversation)

INSTAGRAM / SHRINES & TEMPLES / 1

Shrine & temple posts

Posts by shrine and goshuin creators. Posts whose hashtags match a VV entry also appear on that entry's page.

Shrines & temples
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Yudonosan Jinja · Tsuruoka · @nari_futuristOpen post

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INSTAGRAM

Explore on Instagram

Hashtags often used for this area. Each opens the tag page on Instagram.

#山形県Yamagata Prefecture

SEASONS & EVENTS

Seasons & events

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BEFORE YOU GO

Before you go

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Q1Q. What do people get wrong about IC cards (Suica, PASMO) in Japan?Q2Q. What do people get wrong about coin lockers and luggage forwarding in Japan?Q3Q. What do people get wrong about Golden Week, Obon and New Year travel?

TRAVEL

Transport & stays

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Photos of Yamagata

Real photos of the region. Select an image to enlarge it.

YamagataEnlarge ↗
Yamagatacontri from Yonezawa-Shi, Yamagata, Ja… · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Original image and source ↗Display size adjusted. The enlarged view shows the whole photo.
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Yamagatacontri from Yonezawa-Shi, Yamagata, Ja… · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Original image and source ↗Display size adjusted. The enlarged view shows the whole photo.

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Crown of Lenten rose · Public domain