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| Yamagata city is the commercial, governmental and travel hub of the Prefecture. It is located 21/2 - 3 hours from Tokyo on the Shinkansen bullet train, or just under an hour by aeroplane, and 1 hour from Sendai by bus or train. Such tourist locations as Zao and Yamadera are located within the city boundaries and the city itself also has some interesting places to visit. |
 If you visit during September or October the banks of the Mamigasaki river will be filled with groups enjoying imonikais. At these gatherings taro potatoes are made into a stew along with beef, kon'nyaku ('devil's tongue jelly' as is the unfortunate English translation) and onions, together with soy sauce and sake for flavouring. Late August or early September sees the Imonikai season kick off with a stew for 30,000 people using three tons of potatoes, all cooked in one pot which is permanently on display by the side of the river.
 Hirashimizu, to the south of the city is a renowned pottery producing area. It is said that at its peak there were some 20 producers in the area. This number has now dwindled to six which are enjoying the recent boom in ceramics. The peach Celadon style whereby the iron particles protrude through the celadon glaze giving the pottery a peach-skin effect is particularly well known. Pottery lessons and tours of the buildings where the potters sit at their wheels can be arranged by the Shichiemon, Bun'emon and Heikichi potters.
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Hanagasa
Ondo |
The Hanagasa (flower-hat dance festival) is one of the 'Big four' festivals in Tohoku. The huge parade takes place along Nanoka-machi dori (10 minutes walk from Yamagata station to the start) on the evening of August 5th, 6th and 7th each year. The parade consists of thousands of performers dancing to the Hanagasa-ondo, said to represent farmers harvesting safflowers. The dancers are interspersed by various floats of drummers and performers. Towards the end of the parade is a section for crowd participation - why not give it a go? This is the main annual event in the Yamagata city calendar and certainly enlivens the city for the three days of dancing.
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 The main biennial event is the International Documentary Film Festival held alternate Octobers. The event attracts documentary film makers and film lovers from all over the world. The 1997 festival screened some 420 films from 56 countries with the Israeli film 'Jerusalem' taking first prize. In addition to this, Yamagata is a great place to watch films as there are 13 cinemas.
Other events to look out for during the year are the Hatsu-ichi or 'New year market' held on January 10th each year, and cherry blossom viewing around the moat of the Yamagata castle remains at Kajo park. |
 For shopping and evening entertainment Yamagata city has two city centres. One is the area in front of the station containing the Vivre, Jujiya and Daiei department stores and the entertainment district behind Vivre which is crammed full of snack bars, coffee shops, restaurants and bars to suit any taste and any budget. The other is the Nanoka-machi area with one long street of shops leading to the City office and the former Prefectural Government building (an impressive 19th century building, now a museum). The area east of this street (up from the Matsuzakaya department store also has many bars and dining establishments.
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A walk around the wall at the perimeter of Kajo park during the cherry blossoms is a wonderful sight, both in terms of the flowers and the people sitting beneath them. The night view reflected in the moat is also worth a look. |
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Although the words 'Taro Stew' do not make the taste-buds tingle it really does taste good. The large imonikai has a real festival atmosphere as well as a good feed. |
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The numerous bars and restaurants provide you with an opportunity to sample some of Yamagata's wonderful food and meet the people that make Yamagata the friendly and welcoming place it is. |
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If you have a couple of hours to kill, a stroll up Mount Chitose is a worthwhile trip. Located about 4km north of the station the conical mountain takes under an hour to climb and provides a beautiful view of the city and the mountain ranges in the background. Combine this with a visit to the Hirashimizu pottery village at the South-western foot of the mountain for a day out. |
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