Summer: In mid-August, the rice fields around Kaneyama are lush and vibrantly green. This view, with its distinctive hills in the distance, is the first glimpse visitors get of Kaneyama when travelling north from Yamagata City.

Apr 1, 2013 - 1 min read

Kaneyama Seasons

The ever-changing scenery of a rural Yamagata town

Community writer

Kaneyama is a small town in the north east of Yamagata. It offers visitors a glimpse into a rural side of Japan that has remained largely unchanged for generations. Surrounded by rice fields and forest-covered hills, it is a world away from the bright lights of Tokyo, and life here moves at a far more leisurely pace. It has four very distinct seasons, typified by hot, humid summers and heavy snowfall in winter. The ever-changing landscape is part of its beauty, and there is always something new to see, whatever the time of year.

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By Amber Mezbourian

Community writer

Summer: In mid-August, the rice fields around Kaneyama are lush and vibrantly green. This view, with its distinctive hills in the distance, is the first glimpse visitors get of Kaneyama when travelling north from Yamagata City.

Summer: Dramatic colours before a sudden storm. Kaneyama is famed for its Japanese cedar trees, and thick forests cover the surrounding hills. Many houses in the town are built using cedar, with black wooden frames and white walls.

Autumn: A misty October morning, and stacks of harvested rice hang out to dry in the fields. Agriculture is one of the main industries in Kaneyama, and many fields are still tended by hand.

Autumn: By November, the rice fields are bare, and a dusting of snow covers the distant mountains - a reminder of the rapidly approaching winter.

Autumn: As winter approaches, wooden tipi-like structures spring up all over the town. They protect carefully-pruned trees and bushes from the weight of the snow.

Winter: Persimmon grow in abundance around Kaneyama, and are delicious eaten both fresh and dried.

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