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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

  1. Zao Snow Monster Festival
    1

    Zao Snow Monster Festival

    Yamagata City
  2. Uesugi Snow Lantern Festival
    2

    Uesugi Snow Lantern Festival

    Event
  3. Yamagata: Food Guide
    3

    Yamagata: Food Guide

    Food
  4. Zao Onsen Shuttle Bus Service
    4

    Zao Onsen Shuttle Bus Service

    Culture
  5. Ginzan Onsen in Winter
    5

    Ginzan Onsen in Winter

    Accommodation
  6. Ginzan Onsen Caps Visitor Numbers This Winter
    6

    Ginzan Onsen Caps Visitor Numbers This Winter

    Planning
  7. Kasedori Festival
    7

    Kasedori Festival

    Activities
  8. Tendo Ningen Shogi
    8

    Tendo Ningen Shogi

    Tendo
  9. Snow Shoveling Race in Hijiori Onsen
    9

    Snow Shoveling Race in Hijiori Onsen

    Event
  10. Nagai Snow Lantern Festival
    10

    Nagai Snow Lantern Festival

    Event

Upcoming Yamagata Events

Zao Snow Monster Festival 2025-2026
Activities

Zao Snow Monster Festival 2025-2026

Dec 27th - Feb 23rd

Every winter, Mount Zao in Yamagata Prefecture becomes overrun with hordes of “snow monsters.” This natural spectacle is calle..

2
Yutagawa Onsen Plum Festival 2026
Culture

Yutagawa Onsen Plum Festival 2026

Mar 28th - Mar 29th

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 2026
Culture

Tendo Ningen Shogi 2026

Apr 11th - Apr 12th

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
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Where to eat in Yamagata

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Places to stay in Yamagata

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Latest Yamagata Reports

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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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