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Quick facts
Region: Tohoku
Capital: Yamagata
Population: 1.0 million
Climate: Sea of Japan side
Cherry blossom (average): 12 April
No. 1 in Japan: 70% of Japan's cherries — Birthplace of the "Sato Nishiki" variety. Also No. 1 for La France pears
⭐ Top sights
⭐
Ginzan Onsen
Wooden inns from the 1910s–20s line a river; the snowy, gaslit evenings look straight out of an anime.
Autumn imoni parties, where locals gather round huge pots on the riverbank, are a prefecture-wide tradition. The biggest festival uses a pot 6.5 m across
🏮 Festivals & events
Yamagata Hanagasa Festival — August 5–7. Over 10,000 dancers wave safflower-decorated hats to shouts of "Yassho, makasho"
🏨 Where to stay in Yamagata
The area around Yamagata, the capital, has the best transport links and the widest choice of hotels; a night at a hot-spring town is also worth it.
Yamagata's best-known local dishes are Imoni, tama-konnyaku, dashi. Autumn imoni parties, where locals gather round huge pots on the riverbank, are a prefecture-wide tradition. The biggest festival uses a pot 6.5 m across
What are the top sights in Yamagata?
Top picks in Yamagata include Ginzan Onsen, Ginzan Onsen, Zao Onsen.
When do cherry blossoms bloom in Yamagata?
In Yamagata (Yamagata), Somei-yoshino cherry trees usually start blooming around 12 April, reaching full bloom about a week later.
