Imoni (taro stew)芋煮
A taro and beef stew cooked outdoors at riverside imoni parties every autumn.
Tohoku
Yamagata Travel Guide
Local tips, regional food and places off the tourist trail
A mountainous prefecture of hot springs and sacred peaks: the cliffside temple of Yamadera, the lamp-lit Ginzan Onsen, Zao’s snow monsters and the Dewa Sanzan mountains.
Open Yamagata on the map52 places on the map · 20 local favourites
Local tips
- TipYamadera sits on the JR Senzan Line between Sendai and Yamagata, making it an easy day trip from either city.
- Heads upYamadera involves roughly a thousand stone steps; wear good shoes and take care when icy.
- TipZao’s frost-covered “snow monster” trees are best in mid-winter, seen from the Zao Ropeway.
- Heads upGinzan Onsen is very crowded on winter evenings; check current visitor access rules or stay the night.
- TipHidden gem: Mount Haguro, one of the Dewa Sanzan, with a five-storey pagoda in a cedar forest and a long stone stairway.
What to eat
Yonezawa beef米沢牛
Richly marbled wagyu from the Yonezawa area, enjoyed as sukiyaki, steak or on a beef bento.
Sakuranbo (cherries)さくらんぼ
Yamagata grows most of Japan’s cherries; early summer is the season for picking them at farms.
Local favourites
Places mostly visited by people who live here — quieter, and often the highlight of a trip.
Tobishima Island
飛島 Nature & ScenerySmall island off Sakata reached by ferry, with sea caves, clear water and migrating birds.
● Mostly localsMatsugaoka Kaikonjo
松ヶ岡開墾場 ShoppingSights & HistoryHuge wooden silkworm barns built by former samurai in Tsuruoka, now selling silk goods and local products.
● Mostly localsHijiori Onsen
肘折温泉 Hot SpringsRemote hot-spring village in heavy snow country with public baths and a morning market.
● Mostly localsMaruike-sama
丸池様 Nature & ScenerySacred spring-fed pond in Yuza of an astonishing emerald colour, surrounded by forest.
● Mostly localsEboshiyama Park
烏帽子山公園 Nature & SceneryHillside park above Akayu Onsen with about a thousand cherry trees and views over the town.
● Mostly localsHotnaru Yokocho
ほっとなる横丁 NightlifeLocal FoodSmall covered alley of izakaya and bars in Nanokamachi, central Yamagata.
● Mostly localsChuren-ji
注連寺 Temples & GoshuinchoMountain temple in Tsuruoka housing a sokushinbutsu, a self-mummified monk revered as a living Buddha.
● Mostly localsHonma Family Former Main Residence
本間家旧本邸 Sights & HistorySamurai-style residence of Sakata's hugely wealthy Honma merchant family, once said to be richer than the local lord.
● Mostly localsIdeha Cultural Museum
いでは文化記念館 ExperiencesSights & HistoryMuseum at the foot of Mt Haguro about the yamabushi mountain ascetics; it arranges short yamabushi experiences.
● Mostly localsTamasudare Falls
玉簾の滝 Nature & SceneryTall, slender waterfall near Sakata behind a small shrine; lit up on some evenings.
● Mostly localsJuroku Rakan Iwa
十六羅漢岩 Nature & ScenerySights & HistoryBuddhist figures carved into seaside rocks at Yuza, with the Sea of Japan sunset behind them.
● Mostly localsAtsumi Onsen
Hot SpringsAtsumi Onsen is a traditional hot spring resort town tucked along the Atsumi River in Yamagata Prefecture, known for its rustic charm and as a local favorite away from…
● Mostly localsThe famous sights
The places most visitors come for. Worth it — just go early.
Yamadera (Risshaku-ji)
山寺 立石寺 Temples & GoshuinchoNature & SceneryTemple complex climbing a cliff up about a thousand steps to halls with superb valley views; where Basho wrote a famous haiku.
Zao Ropeway (Snow Monsters)
蔵王ロープウェイ ExperiencesNature & SceneryRopeway up Mt Zao to the famous 'snow monsters': trees coated in rime ice. Night lighting in winter.
Kaminoyama Onsen
Hot SpringsSights & HistoryKaminoyama Onsen is a historic hot spring town in Yamagata Prefecture, known for its rich bathing culture, traditional ryokan, and charming streets that attract both…
Mount Zao
Nature & SceneryHot SpringsMount Zao is a volcanic mountain straddling Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures, renowned for its dramatic crater lake, winter 'snow monsters' (juhyo), and excellent…
Yamadera Temple
Temples & GoshuinchoNature & SceneryYamadera (Risshakuji Temple) is one of Yamagata Prefecture's most iconic sites, a mountaintop Buddhist temple complex reached by climbing over 1,000 stone steps through…
Ginzan Onsen Notoya
Hot SpringsLocal FoodNotoya is a historic ryokan located in the picturesque Ginzan Onsen hot spring village in Yamagata Prefecture, a destination that frequently appears on Japan travel…
Ginzan Onsen
Hot SpringsSights & HistoryGinzan Onsen is a beautifully preserved hot spring town in Yamagata Prefecture, famous for its multi-storey Taisho-era ryokan lining a narrow river gorge, especially…
Notoya Ryokan
Hot SpringsNotoya Ryokan is an iconic traditional inn in Yamagata, offering guests a classic Japanese ryokan experience with onsen facilities. It is frequently cited as a standout…
Souvenirs to bring home
Cherry sweets, La France pear products and Tendo’s handmade shogi pieces are popular souvenirs.
When to go
Early summer for cherries, autumn for imoni season and colourful leaves, and mid-winter for Zao’s snow monsters; roads can be snowbound in winter.