
Ai Nishimura
Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.
- Immerse yourself in the Bunshokan, a highly valued Taisho-era building
- Stroll through the pond garden at Senshinan for a refreshing view
- You'll want to stay for a while! "Day&Coffee" is a cafe filled with hospitality and love for coffee
- Yamagata City Local Museum (Former Saiseikan Main Building) - A cultural asset of Meiji-era architecture that tells the history of Yamagata
- "Soba Rin" where you can quietly make soba noodles in a traditional Japanese house
- "0035 Gather" and "0035 BY KIYOKAWAYA" bring together the prefecture's traditional crafts, local toys, and food culture.
Immerse yourself in the Bunshokan, a highly valued Taisho-era building
The Yamagata Prefectural Museum "Bunshokan," located in the center of Yamagata city, is the collective name for the former prefectural office building and prefectural assembly building built during the Taisho era.
With the abolition of feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures, the feudal domains within the prefecture were replaced by seven prefectures, and then through consolidation and abolition, Yamagata Prefecture was established in 1876, with the prefectural office building being built the following year and the prefectural assembly hall six years later. However, both buildings were destroyed in a major fire in northern Yamagata in 1913, and construction began in 1913 and took about three years to complete, resulting in the current building.
The former prefectural office building is as splendid as a palace, and with its graceful symmetrical appearance, it is no exaggeration to say that it is a symbol of Yamagata city.
Tahara Shinnosuke, a Yamagata Prefecture carpenter and apprentice of Josiah Conder, known for his elegant Western-style buildings such as the former Iwasaki Residence and Mitsui Club in Tokyo, and Rokkaen in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, played a central role in constructing this enormous structure, making use of his experience and techniques. In addition to the exterior, there is plenty to see inside, including the intricate carvings, plaster, marquetry used for the flooring, the staircase where expensive building materials are used lavishly, and the stained glass. Materials related to the history and culture of Yamagata Prefecture can also be seen on display.
The hall of the former prefectural assembly building has a high, spacious ceiling with a reproduced kamaboko-shaped vaulted ceiling. It is still used for concerts and other events, and is a facility that continues to disseminate culture.
The grounds are carefully maintained and seasonal flowers are planted. The value of the building as a historic site is fully recognized, and it has been used as a filming location for popular movies.
Although it is a nationally designated important cultural property, admission is free. It is a tourist spot for adults where you can take your time exploring the tranquil surroundings.

We headed to Yamagata Prefectural Museum "Bunshokan", a symbolic building of Yamagata City.

The former Yamagata Prefectural Government Office and Assembly Building, built in 1916, has an exterior reminiscent of a European palace.

An elegant staircase with triple arches and marble columns.

Admire the intricate carvings and details as you make your way up the stairs to the second floor.

Stained glass on the staircase landing.

The building is filled with outstanding architectural design, and every view is not to be missed.

A mantelpiece that is often used in Western-style architecture. The floor is made of parquet and mirrors are used to create depth.

The ceiling of the "Main Hall" is decorated with plasterwork. Can you spot the "cherries" and "safflowers", which are Yamagata specialties?

The answer is here!

We crossed the corridor to visit the "Old Prefectural Assembly Building."

This restored room was used as the assembly hall for the prefectural assembly. It is still used today for lectures and concerts.

The courtyard of a brick building. It has also been used as a film location for movies.

The gardens on the premises were also well maintained and seasonal flowers were in full bloom.
Yamagata Prefectural Museum "Bunshokan"
address | : | 3-4-51 Hatagocho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture |
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phone | : | 023-635-5500 |
Opening hours | : | 9:00~16:30 |
closing day | : | The first and third Monday of every month (or the following day if that Monday is a national holiday), New Year's holiday (December 29th to January 3rd) |
URL | : | https://www.gakushubunka.jp/bunsyokan/ |
Stroll through the pond garden at Senshinan for a refreshing view
Senshinan is a Japanese garden that appears in a quiet residential area. This was once a private residence, but is now a facility owned by Yamagata Prefecture and was opened to the public in 2013. At that time, the building was rebuilt and the garden was redeveloped.
This garden was created by Kotaro Iwaki, a famous gardener who was one of the leading gardeners in Tokyo during the Showa period. Iwaki is a famous landscape gardener who also designed the gardens of Hotel New Otani Tokyo and Akasaka Palace Japanese Style Annex. Senshinan is so highly regarded that Iwaki himself is said to have called it "the best garden in the Tohoku region."
You can freely stroll through the garden, and you can also view it from inside the building. There are over 30 precious stone works of art, including garden stones and lanterns, each of which is diverse in style and region, and some of them have a long history.
Each season has its own beautiful scenery, so you'll always feel something new no matter when you visit. Autumn is especially beautiful, and the autumn leaves reflected on the water's surface are very picturesque.
The garden is a stroll-style garden with a pond and river all around it. The landscape changes constantly, with well-maintained trees, deep green moss, stepping stones, and more. You can spend a relaxing time in this impressive garden that seems to have condensed nature.

We will visit the gardens of Senshinan, which is located close to Bunshokan.

The garden was designed by Kotaro Iwaki, a gardener who also designed gardens for Hotel Okura and other establishments.

The stroll-style pond garden expresses the natural landscape and creates a sense of harmony between the trees and the pond.

You can also view the garden from inside the building. Events and community activities are held in the building facilities.

The vibrant moss and plants growing by the waterside allow you to enjoy the scenery that changes with the seasons.

You can stroll along the ponds and rivers, crossing stepping stones and stone bridges made from millstones.

There are many historic stone structures installed within the garden.

A spot where you can spend a pleasant time surrounded by greenery and the breeze blowing over the water.

The Japanese garden, which covers an area of 2,000 m2, is open to the public free of charge.
Senshinan, a garden culture learning facility in Midoricho, Yamagata Prefecture
address | : | 1-4-28 Midoricho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture |
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phone | : | 023-664-2800 |
Opening hours | : | 9:00~19:00 |
closing day | : | Mondays, the third Sunday of every month, New Year's holiday (December 29th to January 3rd) |
URL | : | https://www.gakushubunka.jp/senshin-an/ |
You'll want to stay for a while! "Day&Coffee" is a cafe filled with hospitality and love for coffee
Day & Coffee is a specialty coffee shop located on the first floor of a building along Suzuran Street in front of the station.
The Tomihiro Building, where this shop is located, was fully renovated from the first to third floors with the involvement of graduates of Tohoku University of Art and Design in Yamagata City. At that time, the idea was to turn the first floor into a cafe as a gathering place, and in 2019, a student at the university (at the time) successfully launched a crowdfunding campaign and opened this coffee stand with the support of fans.
They always have 3-4 types of coffee, including their own roasted coffee. They grind the beans after an order is placed and carefully brew each cup of coffee. They use hand drip (paper), aeropress, French press, etc.
When I asked him what he would recommend, he replied "cafe latte" along with his home-roasted coffee. The reason is that he brews it so that it is easy to drink and you can really taste the coffee. I thought that café latte and café au lait were heretical in the world of coffee, so these were very honest and reassuring words for me.
I'm also happy that there is a wide selection of sweets.
"Croiffle" is a crispy waffle made with croissant dough baked in a waffle maker. Recommended for those who want to enjoy something sweet and coffee.
The "Tiramisu" is smooth and not too sweet. Finely ground espresso powder is sprinkled on the surface, and when eaten with coffee, the flavor is further enhanced. The cookie dough is also soaked in coffee, and the cheese cream has a hint of black tea, creating an exquisite combination. You can feel the taste of an adult in every bite.
It was a comfortable cafe with a sense of flexibility, offering a rich menu that you would expect from a local cafe in a regional city, a place where you could enjoy conversation over delicious coffee, and a place that offers "a special cup for everyone."

Take a break at a cafe on Suzuran Street, near the station.

"Day&Coffee" serves specialty coffee.

Once an order is placed, the beans are ground and carefully brewed one cup at a time.

We always have 3-4 types of coffee available, including our own roasted coffee.

"Croiffles" have a crispy texture similar to that of a croissant and are made fresh after an order is placed.

Tiramisu is smooth cream topped with espresso powder, a sweet treat that complements the flavor of coffee.

There are counter seats and table seats. It is a comfortable cafe with relaxing music and polite service.
Day&Coffee
address | : | 1-11-18 Kasumicho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture |
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business hours | : | 8:30~18:30 |
Closed Day | : | Tuesday |
URL | : | https://dayandcoffee.official.ec/ |
Yamagata City Local Museum (Former Saiseikan Main Building) - A cultural asset of Meiji-era architecture that tells the history of Yamagata
This old Western-style building in Kasumigaoka Park has a stylish terracotta color that stands out among the greenery.
One of the reasons for its unique atmosphere is that at the time of its construction, Japanese carpenters imitated Western-style buildings in a style known as "pseudo-Western style architecture," which resulted in the building incorporating Japanese elements.
Saiseikan was planned and built in 1878 (Meiji 11) as the Yamagata Prefectural Hospital by the then Yamagata Prefectural Governor, Mishima Michitsune, as a symbol of the modernization of Yamagata. People at the time must have been astonished by this luxurious hospital.
It was actually used as a hospital until 1966, but it overcame the threat of demolition and is now open to the public as a "local history museum" that displays and conveys materials from that time, while also being relocated, disassembled, restored, and restored. Most of the materials are related to medical care, and, along with the building's cultural value, they are one-of-a-kind and valuable.
A Japanese garden is located in the center, surrounded by examination rooms and hospital rooms. It is not circular but polyhedral, and the three-story turret is also polygonal. The building's architectural style is full of attractions, including a retro feel with colored glass and a spiral staircase with beautiful carved details.
The building, which witnessed the turbulent Meiji period, continues to be beloved by people as a historical spot in Yamagata, retaining its elegant appearance even today.

Yamagata City Local Museum (formerly Saiseikan) is a former hospital building open to the public.

There is a corridor with hospital wards lined up around a polygonal turret and garden.

This is an architectural style that was popular during the Meiji period, and is said to be a masterpiece of "pseudo-Western architecture."

The building was actually used as a hospital until 1966, and has been restored and preserved.

In each room that was used as a hospital room, valuable documents and medical equipment from that time are on display.

A spiral staircase and colored glass windows in the turret.

The lecture hall on the second floor is also made of small polyhedrons. On display is a calligraphy piece by the Meiji Prime Minister, Sanjo Sanetomi.

The exterior of this Japanese-style building, known as the "three-story building," is unique.
Yamagata City Local Museum (former Saiseikan Main Building)
address | : | 1-1 Kasumicho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture |
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phone | : | 023-644-0253 |
Opening hours | : | 9:00~16:30 |
closing day | : | New Year's holiday (December 29th - January 3rd) |
URL | : | https://www.city.yamagata-yamagata.lg.jp/shisetsu/bunkasports/1008032/1005895.html |
"Soba Rin" where you can quietly make soba noodles in a traditional Japanese house
We visited a soba noodle restaurant located in an old house that exudes the nostalgic atmosphere of the Showa era.
The restaurant is located in a quiet area of the city, near the Mamigasaki River, where large mansions have been lined up since ancient times, and where the rows of cherry blossom trees are beautiful in spring. In snowy Yamagata, old houses are destined to be demolished due to the cold, and even impressive houses are often restored in a modern style or rebuilt, but the current owner of "Soba Rin" tried and tested the house of a friend to see if it could be used for something, and opened as a soba restaurant in 2009, which marked the beginning of the restaurant's history.
The soba noodles at Soba Rin are served in the "ita soba" style, where the noodles are spread out on a thin wooden board. Ita soba noodles are served in large portions, a vestige of Yamagata's soba culture, where soba noodles used to be served in large wooden boxes and shared among a large group of people. The ita soba noodles at Soba Rin are served on a single board, with about two servings, but they were so delicious that I finished them all in one go.
While Yamagata has a lot of thick country soba noodles, this restaurant serves delicate 28% soba noodles, cut into thin strips and using "Shonai-grown wakaori buckwheat flour." Hand-cut, it is moist, chewy, and easy to bite into, and the broth clings to the noodles, allowing you to enjoy the flavor of the soba.
One of the things we are particular about is that we don't serve tempura so that our customers can enjoy the soba itself.
The sake named after the store, "Rin," and the seal on the chopsticks case are also original. The sake is brewed by the local sake brewery, "Shuho Sake Brewery," and the seal was designed and created by students from the local Tohoku University of Art and Design.
Another popular item at this shop is the soba desserts. They have invented over 25 different soba desserts to date! They share their ideas and construction with local Japanese sweet shops, who then turn them into reality.
The desserts, which make the most of the flavor of soba and have an original texture and appearance that is unlike any other, are a must-try when you come here.
This is a restaurant that offers a taste, atmosphere, and worldview that can only be experienced here, and you can feel the attention to detail in every detail.
It's wonderful to enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere as you grab the thin noodles.

Experience Yamagata's soba culture at "Soba Rin" in Midoricho.

A relaxing and calming pure Japanese atmosphere.

The Western-style room near the entrance has chair seating.

Ita soba setting and a la carte dishes.

The a la carte dish is sweet-simmered herring. The bones are so soft that they go perfectly with alcohol.

Original Japanese sake "Rin".

Thinly cut soba noodles. They have the volume that only a soba noodle made from a board can provide.

This is a refined soba noodle dish with a crisp texture, smooth taste, and wonderful aroma and flavor.

Desserts made with buckwheat flour: buckwheat pudding (front) and buckwheat warabi mochi (back).

A sticky and chewy soba pudding topped with brown sugar syrup and kinako.
Soba Rin
address | : | 2-13-33 Midoricho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture |
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phone | : | 023-624-2163 |
business hours | : | 11:30~14:30 |
Closed Day | : | Wednesday |
"0035 Gather" and "0035 BY KIYOKAWAYA" bring together the prefecture's traditional crafts, local toys, and food culture.
Due to the redevelopment of the west exit of Yamagata Station, Kiyokawaya, which has its headquarters in the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture, opened "0035 BY KIYOKAWAYA" as a shop and cafe attached to the Yamagin Prefectural Hall in June 2020, and "0035 gather", which collects traditional crafts, handicrafts, local toys, and more, in December. The shop is close to the station and easy to use, with a clean and easy-to-see interior, making it a must-visit spot for getting to know Yamagata.
Kiyokawaya is a company that has been dealing in souvenirs from within the prefecture for many years and has also been involved in product development using local specialties.
The "0035" in the store name refers to the 35 cities, towns, and villages in the prefecture. These two shops gather together fine products from all over the prefecture in one place, and offer a variety of products that convey the charm of Yamagata.
"0035 gather" is divided into exhibits by theme, such as "knitting" and "dyeing," and the exhibits are neatly displayed on low, easy-to-grasp display stands. There are many intriguing products on display, such as the Sasano Ittobori "Otaka Poppo" from Yonezawa City, "Yamagata Casting" from Yamagata City, and "Silk Fabric" from Tsuruoka City.
Also, as you would expect from Yamagata, a rice-producing region, they have a wide selection of sake. You can take your time choosing, so it's a great idea to find your favorite drink and take it home with you.
"0035 BY KIYOKAWAYA" is a convenient store where you can purchase Yamagata gourmet foods, with around 300 types of souvenirs available to take home and enjoy, such as sweets made with Yamagata's specialty Tsuyahime rice, local dishes such as "tori chuka" and "hiyashi niiku soba," and ready-made "imo ni" (potato stew) pouches that you can enjoy at home, just like the imoni (potato stew) parties that are held all over the country in the fall.
At the cafe inside the shop, you can enjoy fruit sandwiches made with delicious fruits from Yamagata, the fruit kingdom. This voluminous sandwich uses fluffy bread and plenty of fresh cream, and is an attractive menu that brings out the best of fresh, seasonal fruits.
The cafe is equipped with Wi-Fi and power outlets, so it's convenient for when your battery runs out or when you need to work on your PC. It's conveniently located near the station, and has a bright and stylish atmosphere.

"0035 BY KIYOKAWAYA" is located next to Yamagin Prefectural Hall.

This shop has a wide selection of souvenirs from Yamagata Prefecture. Original sweets made with "Tsuyahime" rice from Yamagata Prefecture.

A short pasta dish from Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture, with a shogi motif.

There is also a cozy and stylish café on the premises, with a menu that includes fruit smoothies and fruit sandwiches.

Fruit sandwiches made with seasonal fruits and topped with plenty of cream and fresh bread from the adjacent bakery.

The drink is an original tea made with edible roses, containing rose syrup and petals.

On this day, the sandwich was made with two types of melon from Yamagata.

Wi-Fi and power outlets are also available, so you can relax and unwind.

In a separate building in the same area is "0035 gather," which sells Yamagata crafts.

The sake selection is also amazing!

"Sasano Ittobori" is a traditional carving of Yonezawa City. It is famous for its hawk and chicken.

Tendo City's shogi piece "Hidariuma" (left horse) is a lucky charm with the character for horse written from left to right.

Traditional Yamagata City castings. Iron kettles are also available for induction heating.

Shonai Sashiko made by artists. The embroidered accessories are all easy to use in daily life.

A purse with a rice-woven komon pattern. Its soft texture fits comfortably in your hand.

Woodworking works from Yamagata City. Wooden vessels and vases that change over time.
0035 BY KIYOKAWAYA
address | : | 1-2-38 Futaba-cho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture General Culture and Arts Center (Yamagin Prefectural Hall) 1st floor |
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phone | : | 023-676-8111 |
business hours | : | 10:00~18:00 |
Closed Day | : | Open all year round (closed irregularly in January and February) |
URL | : | http://www.kiyokawaya.co.jp/shop/0035.html |
0035 gather
address | : | 1-2-38 Futabacho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture |
---|---|---|
phone | : | 023-676-8111 |
business hours | : | 10:00~18:00 |
Closed Day | : | Tuesdays, 2nd and 4th Wednesdays |
URL | : | https://www.kiyokawaya.co.jp/shop/0035gather.html |
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.