【SPRING】myyamagata

Visit Yamagata in spring to relish breathtaking seasonal scenery and culture that will remain ingrained in your heart. Kajo Park and Matsugasaki Park are the places to visit for amazing cherry blossom views! But don't miss a train ride on the Flower-Nagai Line, which allows you to enjoy endless rows of cherry trees in bloom from the train window. Explore the half-sunken forest around Lake Shirakawa by canoe and enjoy a relaxing stay at Suiden Terrasse, a hotel in Shonai with magnificent views of the surroundings.
Yamagata's spring food specialties include flavorful dishes made with mountain herbs, tofu dumplings generously covered with sweet seasonal toppings, and other delights!
As for culture, don't miss out on the Human Chess festival held in April, where locals dress up as shogi pieces. (*Shogi is a type of traditional Japanese chess.) You can actually take part in a workshop to design shogi pieces receiving the instructions of a local artisan. Last but not least, visit Shonai to encounter maiko entertainers at the famous Japanese restaurant Somaro. They will enchant you with their graceful dances!

00:10 Human Shogi (Japanese chess)
00:17 Japanese Rice Dumplings-Mogamigawa Senbon Dango
00:28 Suisha Soba
00:45 Shogi Piece Making Experience
01:00 Yonezawa Castle Ruins/Matsugasaki Park
01:21 Shonai Hotel Suiden Terrasse
01:35 Yamagata Railway Flower Nagai Line
01:51 Mountain Herb Cuisine-Dewaya
02:05 Submerged Forest-Lake Shirakawa
02:15 Kajo Park
02:26 Kasafuku(Yamagata Traditional Craft)-Sannoukurabu
02:35 Sakata Maiko-Somaro