| Yamagata (prefecture) ((ja)山形 ) | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Japan |
|---|---|
| Region | Tohoku |
| Regional capital | Yamagata |
| Area | 9 323,34 km² |
| Population | 1 060 158 hab. () |
| Density | 113,71 inhab./km² |
| Spindle | UTC 09:00, Japan Standard Time |
| Location | |
&groups=aller,circuler,voir,faire,acheter,manger,sortir,loger,ville,destination,diplomatie,masque,around,buy,city,do,drink,eat,go,listing,other,see,sleep,vicinity,view,black,blue,brown,chocolate,forestgreen,gold,gray,grey,lime,maroon,mediumaquamarine,navy,red,royalblue,silver,steelblue,teal,fuchsia) 38 ° 30 ′ 0 ″ N 140 ° 6 ′ 0 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
Yamagata (山形) is a prefecture japanese, located in the region of Tohoku.
Understand
Yamagata Prefecture is often described as "hidden" Japan. Far outside the tourist routes, Yamagata nevertheless offers rich experiences for those who are willing to seek them. Home to incredible unspoiled landscapes, ancient temples, world-class ski resorts, wonderful local food, summer festivals and some of Japan's best onsen (hot springs), Yamagata is a real change for the visitor who believes that we better understand Japan the center of the cities of Tokyo, Osaka Where Kyoto.
Weather
| J | F | M | TO | M | J | J | TO | S | O | NOT | D |
Temperature diagram in ° C | |||||||||||
4 -1 | 4 2 | 8 1 | 14 5 | 19 11 | 23 16 | 27 20 | 29 21 | 25 17 | 19 10 | 13 5 | 8 1 |
| 153 | 115 | 104 | 106 | 117 | 128 | 186 | 176 | 185 | 174 | 224 | 202 |
| Temp. max. annual mean in ° C 16.1 | |||||||||||
| Temp. min. annual mean in ° C 9 | |||||||||||
| Annual precipitation in mm 1870 | |||||||||||
| Legend: Temp. maxi and mini in ° C • Precipitation in mm | |||||||||||
Source:Wikipedia | |||||||||||
Cities
- 1 Yamagata (山形) – The capital of the prefecture, and its largest city, with around 250,000 inhabitants.
- 2 Obanazawa (尾 花 沢) – Hot springs and huge snowfall. Ginzan Onsen is one of the prefecture's most famous tourist destinations.
- 3 Sakata (酒 田) – Coastal town and port in the northwest
- 4 Shinjō (新 庄) – An agricultural town, where the Shinkansen finishes its race.
- 5 Tsuruoka (鶴 岡) – Coastal town and former castle town, the second largest city in Yamagata Prefecture, after the capital.
- 6 Kaminoyama (上山) – Famous for its hot springs, an ancient walled city.
- 7 Yonezawa (米 沢) – Famous for the Yonezawa beef and its hot springs, an ancient walled city.
- 8 Tendō (天 童) – A small town dedicated to the shogi (Japanese chess)
- 9 Higashine (東 根)
Other destinations
- 1 Dewa Sanzan (出 羽 三 山) – The Three Dewa Mountains, dedicated to Shugendō, an ascetic cult of mountain life
- 2 Yamadera (山寺) – A Buddhist temple carved out of the rock.
To speak
While the Japanese standard is used in Yamagata Prefecture, this region is known for unique local dialects (方言, hōgen), which vary from city to city. When speaking with the elderly, visitors might encounter difficulties due to their use of strong dialects.
To go
By plane
There are the following airports in the prefecture:
- 1 Airport Yamagata (山形 空港, yamagata kūkō, IATA : GAJ) – Connections to Osaka-Itami, Nagoya, Tokyo-Haneda and Sapporo-Chitose)
- 2 Airport Shonai (庄内 空港 Shonai Kūkō, IATA : SYO) – Link with Tokyo-Haneda
Most visitors from overseas prefer to fly to Tokyo and the Shinkansen from there.
By train
The prefecture is served by the Shinkansen Yamagata, which departs every hour from Tokyo up to Yonezawa (2 h, 10 490 JPY), Yamagata (3 h, 11 340 JPY) and Shinjō (3 h 30, 12 870 JPY). Don't expect impressive speed: the last 150 km since Fukushima are done on an ordinary route at 160 km / h, or half the speed of a “real” Shinkansen.
By bus
The southern parts of Yamagata Prefecture are easily accessible by express bus from Sendai just south. A one-way ticket from Yamagata town to Sendai costs 900 JPY and takes less than 1 h. There are also coaches connecting Sendai to the cities of Shinjō, Kaminoyama, Yonezawa and Sakata.
The town of Yamagata is also accessible from the town of Niigata by coach, by reservation only. A return trip costs 6 400 JPY, and the outward journey takes about 3 h 30. There are two services a day, one leaving from 8 h and another starting at 16 h.
There are also some night bus connecting Yamagata to Tokyo (several companies, counting 6 h), Osaka and Kyoto.
Circulate
You can get around by bus, trains and cars.
In the prefecture, the Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa (山形 新 幹線 つ ば さ) crosses the city of Yonezawa and goes to Shinjō (with stops at Takahata, Akayu, Kaminoyama Onsen, Yamagata, Tendō, Sakuranbo-Higashine, Murayama, Ōishida).
Yamagata is also served by local JR lines which connects it to neighboring prefectures such as Miyagi, Fukushima and Akita.
There are also express bus circulating between the towns of Yamagata and Tsuruoka in the northwestern regions of the prefecture.
One airport bus connects Yamagata airport and Yamagata town (bus stops are near Yamagata station and Yamko building). The bus makes 6 round trips each day.
There is an extensive network of buses serving the area around Yamagata Town, connecting major sites such as City Hall, Prefectural Office, hospitals and schools.
The car remains the easiest way to get around the prefecture.
To see
Yamagata Prefecture has a rich nature.
- Yamadera (山寺) – Founded in over 1000 years ago, the various buildings of the temple are scattered throughout the mountain. Access to the summit is an easy hike of about 30 min. The view from the top of the mountain is breathtaking. The different seasons also bring interesting variations to the landscape.
- Dewa Sanzan Mountains (出 羽 三 山) – Comprised of the three sacred mountains (Mount Haguro, Mount Yudono, and Mount Gassan), Dewa Sanzan is a place where pilgrims train spiritually. Here you can also enjoy "shōjin ryōri" (Buddhist cuisine). At the base of Mount Haguro is the five-story pagoda, built in 939, without nails.
- Explore a historic district, the only one of which ochaya ' Tohoku geisha (tea house) (Sakata).
- Kamo Aquarium (Tsuruoka) – Visit the aquarium with the most jellyfish in the world.
- Nishinumata Park (Tendō) – Get a feel for what life was like hundreds of years ago.
- Snow monsters (樹 氷) – In winter on Mount Zao, visitors can find snow-covered trees forming strange shapes and resembling "snow monsters".
- Sunset over the Sea of Japan – Turning to the west, you can catch beautiful sunsets over the Sea of Japan coast. Yunohama Onsen (湯 野 浜 温泉) is a place particularly known for its sunset view.
- 1 Mount Chōkai (鳥 海山, chōkai-san) – A famous mountain located on the border of Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture.
Do
- Hanagasa Festival (花 笠 ま つ り)
from August 5 to 7 each year. – A total of 800,000 people come to see this parade from all over Japan. Participants dance on 1,2 km, wearing flower hats (hanagasa) and traditional clothing. About 100 groups participate in the parade; it is one of the biggest summer festivals in the Tohoku region of Japan. - Imoni Festival (芋 煮 会) (in the city of Yamagata) first Sunday in September each year. – Local residents and tourists gather on the banks of the Mamigasaki River to taste deliciousimoni (taro and beef stew) cooked in a giant pot.
- Yonezawa Uesugi Samurai Festival (米 沢 上杉 ま つ り) (in the city of Yonezawa) from April 29 to May 3 each year. – A spring festival whose samurai parade on the last day is the reenactment of the famous historical battles of Kawanakajima. The battles were fought between the two great generals: Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen.
- Boat on the Mogami River April to November: 5 trips per day, December to March: 3 trips; duration 1 h about.
2 000 JPY about. – Mogami River is a river in Yamagata Prefecture. It flows from the southern part of the prefecture, and empties into the Sea of Japan. The famous poet Matsuo Bashō once traveled along the river and wrote a famous haiku there. Visitors can enjoy a guided boat tour (one way) offered by a company called Mogami River Basho Line Descent. - Montedio Yamagata games – A professional football (soccer) club based in Yamagata. You can go see their matches at ND Soft Stadium of the city of Tendō.
- Cherry picking – There are many cherry farms within the prefecture. The best season for picking is early summer from June to July.
- Soba making – Yamagata is famous for its soba (buckwheat noodles), and you can even make your own soba from scratch under the guidance of professionals.
- Ski – There are several ski slopes in the prefecture, visitors can ski on a day trip. Mount Zao is, near the town of Yamagata, is the most famous place. Near the town of Yonezawa is the Tengendai Ski Resort. The ski resort Jungle Jangle is located in the city of Higashine.
- Pottery making – Hirashimizuyaki (平 清水 焼) is a traditional form of pottery originating in the town of Yamagata. TO Shichiuemongama (七 右 エ 門 窯), located near Mount Chitose in Yamagata commune, you can take a pottery class and make your own Hirashimizuyaki for 2 000 JPY with 2 kg of clay.
from August 5 to 7 each year
To buy
Eat
Yamagata is famous for its fruits. Yamagata produces 70% of the production of cherries from Japan. The most famous cultivator is called "Satonishiki", and is known for its red colored fruits with a sweet taste. The European pear variety "FranceIs also famous. Yamagata contributes almost 80% in the production of this variety in Japan. Other fruits like grapes, apples, peaches, melons and watermelons and persimmons are also produced in large quantities.
THE'imoni (芋 煮) is a type of stew made with taro potato, beef, konjac, sugar, and soy or miso sauce. It is traditionally eaten in the fall of the Tōhoku region. Yamagata hosts the biggest imoni festival in Japan in September.
The soba, buckwheat noodles, are also extremely popular in Yamagata. There are many soba restaurants, each with their own specialties.
Yamagata Prefecture has the highest consumption in Japan (in terms of money spent) of ramen, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of General Affairs in 2004. The city of Yamagata leads the ranking, with a record of 13 897 JPY devoted to ramen per household per year. Apart from Yamagata City, other towns in the prefecture including Sakata, Yonezawa, Nan'yō (Akayu) also have their own ramen flavor.
the Yonezawa beef is a type of Japanese beef that originated in the town of Yonezawa in Yamagata Prefecture. It is one of the three most recognized types in Japan.
Have a drink / Go out
Due to the rich rice cultivation and the pure water carried by the Mogami River, Yamagata is known for its sake. You can find many locally produced brands of sake in stores and restaurants.
Housing
Around
- Akita Prefecture (秋田) (North)
- Miyagi Prefecture (宮) (to the East)
- Fukushima Prefecture (福島) (At the South-East)
- Niigata Prefecture (新潟) (at the South West)
