Yamagata Prefecture

Sankyo Warehouse in Sakata City, related to Kitamaebune and transport on Mogami River.

The aboriginal Ezo (蝦夷) people once inhabited the area now known as Yamagata. Yamagata and Akita Prefecture were known as Dewa Province until the Meiji Restoration.[3]

During the Heian period (794–1185), the Fujiwara (藤原) family ruled the area. Yamagata City flourished during the Edo period (1603–1867) due to its status as a castle town and post station, famous for beni (red safflower dye used in the production of handspun silk). In 1689, the famous haiku poet, Matsuo Bashō visited Yamagata during his five-month trip to the northern regions of Japan.

Map of Yamagata Prefecture

Yamagata Prefecture is located in the southwest corner of Tōhoku, facing the Sea of Japan. It borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture on the south, Miyagi Prefecture on the east, and Akita Prefecture on the north. All of these boundaries are marked by mountains, with most of the population residing in a limited central plain.

As of 31 March 2020, 17 percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely the Bandai-Asahi National Park; Chōkai, Kurikoma, and Zaō Quasi-National Parks; and Goshōzan, Kabusan, Kennan, Mogamigawa, Shōnai Kaihin, and Tendō Kōgen Prefectural Natural Parks.[4]

Cities

See also: List of cities in Yamagata Prefecture by population

Thirteen cities are located in Yamagata Prefecture:

Name		Area (km2)	Population	Population density (per km2)	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji
Higashine	東根市	207.17	47,910	231.26
Kaminoyama	上山市	240.93	29,974	124.41
Murayama	村山市	196.98	23,643	120.03
Nagai	長井市	214.67	26,466	123.29
Nan'yō	南陽市	160.52	31,112	193.82
Obanazawa	尾花沢市	373.32	15,237	40.81
Sagae	寒河江市	139.03	40,131	288.65
Sakata	酒田市	602.97	99,341	164.75
Shinjō	新庄市	223.08	34,937	156.61
Tendō	天童市	113.01	61,947	548.16
Tsuruoka	鶴岡市	1,311.53	125,389	95.61
Yamagata (capital)	山形市	381.58	248,772	651.95
Yonezawa	米沢市	548.51	81,707	148.96

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Name		Area (km2)	Population	Population density (per km2)	District	Type	Map
Rōmaji	Kanji
Asahi	朝日町	196.73	7,020	35.68	Nishimurayama District	Town
Funagata	舟形町	119.03	5,101	42.85	Mogami District	Town
Iide	飯豊町	329.6	6,970	21.14	Nishiokitama District	Town
Kahoku	河北町	52.38	18,301	349.39	Nishimurayama District	Town
Kaneyama	金山町	161.79	5,205	32.17	Mogami District	Town
Kawanishi	川西町	166.46	14,967	89.91	Higashiokitama District	Town
Mamurogawa	真室川町	374.29	7,506	20.05	Mogami District	Town
Mikawa	三川町	33.22	7,562	227.63	Higashitagawa District	Town
Mogami	最上町	330.27	8,442	25.56	Mogami District	Town
Nakayama	中山町	31.23	11,153	357.12	Higashimurayama District	Town
Nishikawa	西川町	393.19	5,225	13.29	Nishimurayama District	Town
Ōe	大江町	153.92	7,894	51.29	Nishimurayama District	Town
Oguni	小国町	737.56	7,376	10.00	Nishiokitama District	Town
Ōishida	大石田町	79.54	6,945	87.31	Kitamurayama District	Town
Ōkura	大蔵村	211.59	3,044	14.39	Mogami District	Village
Sakegawa	鮭川村	122.14	4,132	33.83	Mogami District	Village
Shirataka	白鷹町	157.74	13,482	85.47	Nishiokitama District	Town
Shōnai	庄内町	249.17	20,940	84.04	Higashitagawa District	Town
Takahata	高畠町	180.26	23,367	129.63	Higashiokitama District	Town
Tozawa	戸沢村	261.31	4,431	16.96	Mogami District	Village
Yamanobe	山辺町	61.36	14,147	230.56	Higashimurayama District	Town
Yuza	遊佐町	208.39	13,615	65.33	Akumi District	Town

The climate of Yamagata Prefecture is characterized by long, hot, and humid summers and long, snowy winters. Both spring and autumn are short, the former often cold, the latter often warm, but both quite dry and sunny. Yamagata Prefecture, along with northern parts of Miyagi and Iwate are the transition areas from humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa/Cwa) to humid continental within the Japan mainland. Winter temperatures rarely fall below −10 °C (14 °F) in populated areas; they frequently rise above 30 °C (86 °F) in July and August. Precipitation falls all year round and the remnants of one or perhaps two typhoons usually pass through between August and October. The winters see heavy snowfall especially at higher elevations, though the Japan Sea coast (Sakata) is milder and has more rain. Snowfall for Shinjō is typical of populated mountainous areas, snowfall for Yamagata City typical of the valleys. The central mountains around Gassan may see as much as 3,000 centimetres (98.43 ft) of snow in a season with depths up to 8 metres (26 ft) at higher elevations.

Yamagata prefecture population pyramid in 2020

As of October 2020, Yamagata Prefecture had a population of 1,068,027.[8] As of October 2019, 33.4% of the population was over 65 with 15.5% aged between 65 and 74 and 17.9% over 75.[9] This is an increase of 8.5% over census data from 2004 where 12.8% of the population was aged between 65 and 74, and 12.1% was over 75.[10]

Yamagata prefecture experienced its greatest growth period following the end of World War II, but then quickly began to slow down and eventually decline steadily.[11] Today, the population is nearly the same as it was in 1930.

Yamagata City is the central hub for Yamagata Prefecture and has many shops and restaurants around its main station. It is also the location with the most western hotels and the primary place of lodging for visitors visiting this region. This city serves as a good hub to visit the surrounding cities and towns around this prefecture with bus lines and train lines linking almost every part of Yamagata from the station.

There are also many bars near the station giving this city a good night life for visitors to enjoy at the front of the station as well as the nanukamachi district in the downtown area of the city. [12]

ND Soft Stadium Yamagata, home of Montedio Yamagata.

The sports teams listed below are based in Yamagata.

Football

• Montedio Yamagata

Volleyball

• Pioneer Red Wings (Tendō)

Basketball

• Passlab Yamagata Wyverns

The temple of Yama-dera, carved into the mountainside near the city of Yamagata, is a major attraction.

The Dewa Sanzan are three holy mountains that form a traditional pilgrimage for followers of the Shugendō branch of Shintō. The famous Gojudo (five-story pagoda) is at the base of Mount Haguro, the lowest of the three mountains.

Mount Zaō is a famous winter ski resort, also known for its snow monsters (frozen snow-covered trees) in the winter, and the Okama crater lake, also known as the Goshiki Numa (Five Color Lake) because its colour changes according to the weather.

Ginzan Onsen (銀山温泉) is a Silver Mountain hot spring town located in the mountains of Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture. The area originally developed around a silver mine. However, these days it is better known as one of Japan’s prettiest onsen towns with historic ryokan alongside river.[14]

• 
  Former Yamagata Prefectural Office
• 
  Yamadera niōmon
• 
  Mount Haguro, The Gojuto Pagoda
• 
  Ginzan Onsen Spa
• 
  Zaō Onsen Ski Resort

• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 58053128

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yamagata prefecture.

• Yamagata Prefecture Official Website (in Japanese)

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