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| Sakata City lies in Yamagata's coastal Shonai region, at the mouth of the Mogami river and is Yamagata's main port. During the Edo period it was the entranceway for goods to and from the Kyoto area and is consequently rich in culture and history. The local dialect is also said to be similar to that of the Kyoto region. |
 The Sankyo soko (Sankyo Warehouse) facility was constructed in 1893 as the warehouse for the Sakata rice trading market. There are twelve interconnected warehouses in all, made out of whitewashed clay, which stand on the bank of the Niida-gawa (Niida River) under stately, aged zelkova trees. The design of the warehouses along with the zelkova trees helps to keep the inside cool from the western sun, thus maintaining the correct temperature for rice storage. Inside, one can peruse the history of rice agriculture in Shonai as depicted through figurine displays, pictures and videos.
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 The prosperity and wealth of the Honma family has even been sung about in song, as can be witnessed by a visit to the Honma-ke Kyu-hontei (The former Honma family Main Residence). Originally built in 1768 at the request of the Sakai Clan in order to house visiting Shogunate officials, this is Yamagata's only pure buke (samurai residence) style structure.
The Honma Bijutsu-kan (Honma Art Museum) museum/complex was completed about 180 years ago as the summer residence of the Honma family. On display one can find written works, paintings, weaponry, antiques and sculptures. The museum lies adjacent to the Kakubuen Japanese-style garden. Both are definitely worth your time! |
Just west (a minute walk or so) over the crest from Kaiko-ji (below) is Sakata's, and arguably Shonai's most beautiful park, according to those who live in Sakata (cf Tsuruoka park, Tsuruoka). Hiyori-yama Koen (Hiyoriyama Park), famous for its cherry trees, this is "the spot" to go during "hanami" (cherry blossom watching) season. This park affords a breath-taking view of the Japan Sea as the sun sinks into the horizon. Japan's oldest lighthouse is also found in the park as well as many monuments commemorating the works of various literary artists.
 Kaiko-ji temple is on the crest of a hill which faces Hiyori-yama Koen, and is famous for the two miira (mummies), or more correctly, sokushinbutsu (those who attain Buddhahood while alive) who "reside" there. Fascinating is the explanation (in English) and pictorial diagrams explaining how these "Buddha" mummified themselves.
All of the above sites are within 30 minutes walk of Sakata station. The Tourist Information Centre in front of the station provides free bicylces to tour the sites of the city.
The Hie shrine is the home of the Kuromori Kabuki. The open-air kabuki plays have been performed annually on February 15th and 17th come snow, wind or shine for over 260 years. Noh plays can be seen in Tsuruoka and Sakata's neighbouring town of Matsuyama and further south in Kushibiki town(see Tsuruoka). |
 Sakata is also famous for Maiko-san. Maiko are a group of women who go around to Sakata's various Japanese style restaurants to play the shamisen, dance, and sing for the purpose of providing guests with hospitality. Dressed in "traditional" costume, Maiko provide a valuable opportunity for those wanting to see "what it was really like." |
To the north of Sakata is the imposing and beautiful Mount Chokai which rises to a height of some 2230m just 15km from the coastline. There is a hike of around 4-5 hours to the summit which commands breathtaking views of the Japan sea to the west and the mountains to the East.
90 minutes by ferry Northwest of Sakata lies Tobishima, the only off-shore island in the Tohoku region of the Japan sea. This small island is a well known fishing and bird spotting area as well as being a famous spot for diving. There are numerous inns and lodges for a quiet getaway. All the lodges are on the east side of the island as the western side gets a battering from the Siberian winds during winter, but be sure to make it over to the west side for the Japan Sea sunset. The sunrise over Mount Chokai is also worth getting up for. |
Think Alfred Hitchcock. Think feathered friends. What do you get? BIRDS, baby! Attention animal lovers, especially feathered animal lovers. Sakata is the place to see! Located on the north bank of the Mogami River (See Mogami river boat ride) is Mogami-gawa Swan Park (pronounced the same in Japanese-just fake the Japanese/English and you get close enough to be understood.) This park is famous for the wild swans and ducks which fly in from Siberia every October on their way to warmer regions.  According to recent research, the migration area on the Mogami-gawa in Sakata is Japan's largest, with around 6,800 swans coming every year from Siberia. The numbers of ducks and other waterfowl are much greater. If you plan to make an October visit to see the Swan Park be sure to 1) wear warm clothes as it can get very cold when the wind picks up and 2) make a sprint for the car whenever a little kid decides to scare the birds with a rock or something, because, humans make excellent crap targets for hundreds of scared water fowl.
Other "ought to see" sites in Sakata: The Dewa Yushinkan, a public centre for the Japanese arts. The Domon Ken Kinen-kan (Ken Domon Photo Museum), the world's first photo museum built to house the works of only one artist, Sakata native, Ken Domon.
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