During theHeian period (794–1185), theFujiwara (藤原) family ruled the area. Yamagata City flourished during theEdo period (1603–1867) due to its status as a castle town and post station, famous for beni (redsafflower dye used in the production of handspun silk). In 1689, the famoushaiku poet,Matsuo Bashō visited Yamagata during his five-month trip to the northern regions of Japan.
Yamagata Prefecture is located in the southwest corner of Tōhoku, facing theSea of Japan. It bordersNiigata Prefecture andFukushima Prefecture on the south,Miyagi Prefecture on the east, andAkita Prefecture on the north. All of these boundaries are marked by mountains, with most of the population residing in a limited central plain.
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 fromhumid subtropical climate (KoppenCfa/Cwa) tohumid 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 twotyphoons 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 forShinjō is typical of populated mountainous areas, snowfall forYamagata City typical of the valleys. The central mountains aroundGassan 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.
Persimmons in October, Yamagata Prefecture.Yamagatacherries, such as these, often sell for US$30 per pound or more.
Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.
As of the 2020 census, Yamagata Prefecture had a population of 1,068,027.[10] As of the latest estimates in October 2024, 10.4% of the population was under the age of 15, 54.0% was between 15 and 64, and 35.6% was over 65, with 16.0% aged 65 to 74, and 19.6% aged 75 or older.[11]
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.[12]
In May 2025, the Yamagata prefectural government announced that the estimated population had fallen below 1 million. This marks the lowest population level recorded in the prefecture since the 1920 census.[13]
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.[14]
In February, a snow lantern festival is held inYonezawa at theUesugi Shrine. Hundreds of candle-lit lanterns light pathways dug into the snow around the shrine. Yonezawa is also the site of theUesugi Festival (上杉祭り,uesugi matsuri) in mid-spring. The festival's highlight is a re-enactment of theBattle of Kawanakajima on the banks of the Matsukawa River.
In September, Yamagata Prefecture is famous for itsimoni, a taro-root stew popular in Northern Japan during the autumn. Imonikai, taro-root soup parties, are very popular during this season, and many tourists come to Yamagata Prefecture specifically for its particular style of imoni.
Beginning in 2003, Yamagata city officials with the aid of Tōhoku University of Art and Design began a three-year project in which the Buddhist art of the city's temples would be catalogued and compared to a set of guidelines in order to identify "cultural assets".[15] One hundred and ninety temples have had their works of art examined and several significant examples of Buddhist sculpture have been discovered. At Heisenji Temple, in the Hirashimizu district, a particularly rare statue, a seatedVairocana Buddha made fromzelkova wood, was found. Other significant works include sculptures from theHeian period (794–1185) andKamakura period (1192–1333).
The Yamagata Museum of Art, located in Yamagata City, was opened in 1964 through the efforts of a foundation led by Yoshio Hattori, the president of Yamagata Shimbun and Yamagata Broadcasting Co, Ltd. The permanent collection consists of three types of art: Japanese and Asian, regional, and French. Special exhibitions are held periodically.
Yamagata Prefecture is known for its local dialectYamagata-ben, sometimes thought of as backward sounding in other parts of Japan. The 2004 movieSwing Girls (スウィングガールズ), co-written and directed byShinobu Yaguchi, is set in Yamagata and makes use of Yamagata-ben for comedic purposes.
The temple ofYama-dera, carved into the mountainside near the city ofYamagata, is a major attraction.
TheDewa Sanzan are three holy mountains that form a traditional pilgrimage for followers of theShugendō branch of Shintō. The famous Gojudo (five-story pagoda) is at the base ofMount Haguro, the lowest of the three mountains.
Mount Zaō is a famous winter ski resort, also known for itssnow monsters (frozen snow-covered trees) in the winter, and theOkama crater lake, also known as theGoshiki 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 ofObanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture. The area originally developed around a silver mine.
^自然公園都道府県別面積総括 [General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture](PDF) (in Japanese).Ministry of the Environment. 31 March 2020. Retrieved22 September 2020.
^山形県の人口100万人割れ、1920年以来105年ぶり…100万人未満は12県に [Yamagata Prefecture's population falls below 1 million for the first time in 105 years since 1920...12 prefectures now have populations below 1 million].Yomiuri Shimbun. 30 May 2025.Archived from the original on 2 June 2025. Retrieved4 June 2025.
