Spots List | V-Trip Japan

Goshiki Onsen Auto Campground

Situated at an altitude of 800m, this spot allows you to enjoy historic hot springs dating back to the Meiji era alongside camping. Surrounded by deep forests, the area offers breathtakingly beautiful starry skies at night. Based on the theme of coexistence with nature, it is an ideal location for modern refreshment where you can enjoy both the outdoors and hot springs simultaneously.

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Oodaira Onsen Takimiya

Located at the source of the Mogami River, this inn offers a breathtaking view of a powerful waterfall, just as its name suggests. The baths, reached only by walking along mountain paths inaccessible to vehicles, offer a true sense of a hidden sanctuary. Surrounded by the gentle murmur of the river and the roar of the waterfall, you can experience a wild yet luxurious soak that makes you feel at one with untouched nature.

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Ubayu Onsen Masugataya

Located at an altitude of 1,300m and surrounded by rugged rock faces, this is the "ultimate hidden hot spring." Since its discovery in 1533, the open-air baths perched on deep mountain cliffs offer an extraordinary world that feels like a dwelling place for mountain hermits. Immersed in white, cloudy waters with the scent of sulfur, you can feel the raw energy of vast, unobstructed nature.

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Yonezawa Eight Hot Springs

Nestled deep in the mountains of Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, the Yonezawa Eight Hot Springs are a paradise of secluded hot springs consisting of eight uniquely individual spa areas. From breathtaking open-air baths above the clouds at altitudes over 1,000 meters to famous springs with over 700 years of history and rustic baths overlooking waterfalls, each offers a distinct water quality and story. Many inns retain the historical ties to the Uesugi Clan and the authentic atmosphere of the Japan Association of Secluded Hot Springs. Soaking in free-flowing spring water from private sources, visitors can experience a silence and the...

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Yonezawa City

Yonezawa City, located in southern Yamagata Prefecture, is a castle town deeply connected to the Uesugi Clan, founded by the legendary warrior Uesugi Kenshin. It is a city where the samurai spirit and a noble history remain alive. The solemn atmosphere of Uesugi Jinja Shrine and moments spent gazing at Japanese gardens from former count residences offer a profound sense of traditional beauty. In terms of cuisine, it is the home of the world-renowned Yonezawa Beef, famous for its fine marbling and rich aroma. Indulging in a steak or shabu-shabu meal here will undoubtedly be the highlight of your journey....

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Shirakawa Onsen Shirakawaso

Located on the shores of Lake Shirakawa in Iide Town, Yamagata Prefecture, Shirakawa Onsen Shirakawaso is a hot spring inn boasting a prime location with views of the submerged forest in spring. Inside the inn, filled with the warmth of wood, guests can relax in natural hot springs known as skin-beautifying waters while taking in the ever-changing panoramic views of the lake. The local cuisine, featuring mountain vegetables, river fish, and premium Iide beef, delivers the simple yet deep flavors of rural Japan. Adjacent to the Shirakawa Dam Lakeside Park, where you can enjoy canoeing and camping, it is the...

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Lake Shirakawa

Lake Shirakawa, located in Iide Town, Yamagata Prefecture, is a mystical spot famous for its submerged forest that appears for only one month each spring. During this season, as snowmelt fills the dam lake, fresh green willow trees stand as if growing directly from the water, creating a surreal landscape reflected on the mirror-like surface. Especially in the early morning, canoeing across the lake shrouded in mist and quietly passing between the trees offers a profound sense of wonder, as if wandering into a forest from another world. It is the ultimate destination for photographers and nature lovers to experience...

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Iide Town

Iide Town, located in southwestern Yamagata Prefecture, is a town with a beautiful rural landscape that is counted as one of Japan's three major dispersed settlements. The sight of houses dotted across the vast plains, each surrounded by a protective grove of trees, conveys the aesthetics of traditional Japanese farming villages to the present day. Especially in spring, the submerged forest seen at Lake Shirakawa when meltwater flows in creates a mystical scene as if fresh green trees are growing directly from the lake surface, and canoeing through them is breathtakingly beautiful. It is also a treasure trove of gourmet...

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Yamagata

Oguni Town

Oguni Town, located at the westernmost tip of Yamagata Prefecture, is one of Japan's most nature-rich towns, known as the White Forest, where over 90 percent of its total area is covered by primeval beech forests. In winter, a mystical snow country culture thrives amidst snowdrifts several meters deep, while from spring to autumn, visitors can enjoy untouched wild beauty, including pristine mountain streams and the emerald green waters of the Tamagawa Gorge. Furthermore, the Matagi culture, a traditional way of life based on hunting and gathering in harmony with nature, is still passed down today, offering a unique opportunity...

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Yamagata

Nanyo City

Nanyo City, located in southeastern Yamagata Prefecture, is a city with a rich culture centered around Akayu Onsen, which boasts over 900 years of history and flourished as a hot spring resort for the Yonezawa Clan during the Edo period. Visitors can encounter classic Japanese scenery at Urushiyama, the setting of the folk tale The Crane’s Return of a Favor, and experience the tradition of Nanyo Chrysanthemum Dolls, which has a history of over 100 years. Furthermore, Akayu is one of Japan's leading wine-producing regions, where you can enjoy tastings at historic wineries. As a mecca for sky sports, it...

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Yamagata

Nagai City

Nagai City, located in southern Yamagata Prefecture, is known as a town of water, greenery, and flowers, retaining the charm of a merchant town that once flourished as a strategic point for Mogami River boat transport. Pure water channels wind through the city, and the landscape is graced with seasonal flowers, including the Kubo-zakura of Isazawa, a cherry tree over 1,000 years old, and Ayame Park, where one million irises of 500 varieties bloom. Strolling through streets lined with retro wooden school buildings and old earthen storehouses allows visitors to experience the atmosphere of good old Japan. It is a...

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Yamagata

Takahata Town

Takahata Town, located in southeastern Yamagata Prefecture, is known as Mahoroba-no-Sato, a land filled with ancient burial mounds and Jomon-period ruins where eternal history and rich nature breathe together. Also beloved as the Hometown of Fairy Tales because it is the birthplace of children's author Hamada Hirosuke, visitors can experience the world of his heartwarming stories. Another major draw is the Takahata Winery, set in a region famous for high-quality grapes, where guests can enjoy premium wines acclaimed both in Japan and abroad. With numerous mystical power spots such as Uriwari Ishiniwa Park, featuring breathtakingly massive stone walls, and Kameoka...

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Yamagata

Kaminoyama City

Kaminoyama City, located in southeastern Yamagata Prefecture, is a rare destination in Japan where three historical identities overlap: a castle town, a post station, and a hot spring resort. From Kaminoyama Castle, the symbol of the city, you can enjoy stunning views of the Zao Mountain Range, while also taking in the atmosphere of Edo-period samurai residences and finding healing in famous hot springs with over 560 years of history. Furthermore, in recent years, it has gained attention as a wine region utilizing its rich climate. With high-quality winery tours and Kurort (climatic therapy) walking experiences that enhance health in...

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Yamagata

Yamagata Hanagasa Festiva

The Yamagata Hanagasa Festival, symbolizing summer nights in Yamagata Prefecture, is one of the four major festivals of the Tohoku region. This passionate celebration takes place annually from August 5th to 7th along the main streets of Yamagata City. To the spirited chants of Yasho, Makasho!, around 10,000 dancers parading through the city carry Hanagasa hats adorned with vibrant safflowers. The breathtaking beauty of perfectly synchronized group performances and traditional dances featuring powerful hat-spinning movements resonate with the rhythmic beat of Japanese Taiko drums, drawing all spectators into a whirlwind of excitement. With sections where onlookers can spontaneously join the...

Yamagata
Festivals & Events
Summer

Yamagata

Kajo Park

Kajo Park, located in the heart of Yamagata City, is a vast historical park developed on the former site of Yamagata Castle. The restored, dignified Higashi-Ote-mon Gate, impressive stone walls, and surrounding moats convey the history of the 570,000-koku castle town established by Lord Mogami Yoshiaki. It is renowned as one of the prefecture's top cherry blossom viewing spots, where about 1,500 cherry trees bloom along the moats in spring, creating a breathtaking and mystical scene when illuminated at night. With museums and art galleries scattered throughout the grounds, it is a peaceful sanctuary symbolizing Yamagata's identity, where visitors can...

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Tendo City

Tendo City, located in the center of Yamagata Prefecture, is a unique shogi town that boasts the highest production of pieces for shogi, Japan's traditional board game. Shogi motifs can be found throughout the city, and in spring, the spectacular Ningen Shogi event is held, where people dressed as warriors serve as playing pieces on a giant board. The sight, resembling a scene from a Sengoku period scroll set against a backdrop of blooming cherry blossoms, is truly breathtaking. Tendo Onsen, with over 110 years of history, is a famous hot spring known for its skin-beautifying properties. In the hot...

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Shonai Region

The Shonai Region, located in northwestern Yamagata Prefecture and embraced by the majestic Sea of Japan and the sacred peaks of the Three Mountains of Dewa, is a sanctuary of gastronomy that includes Tsuruoka City, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. It is a place where you can deeply savor the roots of Japan's rich food culture, from brand-name rice nurtured by pure underground water from Mount Chokai to seasonal seafood and unique heirloom crops preserved since the Edo period. The region condenses diverse charms woven from history, religion, and science—including the wealthy merchant culture of the port town Sakata...

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Yamagata

Yudonosan Shrine

Yudonosan Shrine, located in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, is considered the most sacred inner sanctum of the Three Mountains of Dewa. As one of Japan's foremost spiritual sites, it has long been shrouded in mystery, with a traditional commandment that one must not speak of or ask about what occurs within its mystical grounds. Uniquely, the shrine has no main building; instead, it enshrines a massive brownish-red rock from which hot spring water flows directly from the mountainside. By undergoing a ritual where visitors remove their shoes to purify themselves with sacred water and feel the earth's heartbeat directly against...

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Sankyo Warehouses

The Sankyo Warehouses, a symbol of Sakata City in Yamagata Prefecture, are a complex of 12 massive rice granaries built in 1893. These historic structures still function as active warehouses today, showcasing the wisdom of ancestors who utilized double-roof designs for natural ventilation. Behind the buildings, a row of zelkova trees over 150 years old stands in orderly fashion, protecting the rice from direct summer sunlight and strong winter winds while creating breathtakingly beautiful landscapes in every season. Amidst the evocative scenery woven by white walls and the dignified beauty of wooden architecture, visitors can deeply experience the history of...

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Sakata City

Sakata City, a port town located in northwestern Yamagata Prefecture, retains strong traces of a history so prosperous from the Kitamaebune trade of the Edo period that it was praised as Sakai in the West, Sakata in the East. It is an atmospheric city where the refined Ryotei restaurant culture of wealthy merchants and the elegant performances of Sakata Maiko dancers still live on. Through the iconic Sankyo Warehouses—massive rice granaries protected by rows of zelkova trees—the panoramic views of the vast Shonai Plain looking toward Mount Chokai, and the superb cuisine born from the fertile soil of the Mogami...

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Mogami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage

The Mogami 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, scattered along ancient paths stretching from the Mogami to the Murayama regions of Yamagata Prefecture, is a historic pilgrimage route supported by deep faith since the Muromachi period. By visiting the thatched-roof temple halls and precincts nestled in serene forests, visitors can deeply connect with the essence of Japanese spiritual culture and the rich, original landscapes of the countryside. Through the beautiful Goshuin stamps received at each sacred site and interactions with the warm local people who welcome pilgrims, this journey provides a peaceful moment for self-reflection that goes beyond mere sightseeing. It is a...

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Semi Onsen

Semi Onsen, situated along the Oguni River in Mogami Town, Yamagata Prefecture, is a legendary hot spring resort where it is said that Minamoto no Yoshitsune's party, fleeing from his brother Yoritomo, heard the first cry of his child, and Benkei struck the rocks to bring forth the spring water. The town is lined with atmospheric inns and public baths that retain traces of history. Visitors can experience traditional Japanese healing culture through various bathing styles, such as footbaths enjoyed while listening to the murmuring river and the Fukashi-yu steam bath, a rare type of sauna using natural hot spring...

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Akakura Onsen

Akakura Onsen, nestled in the quiet mountains of Mogami Town, Yamagata Prefecture, is a historic hot spring resort where legend says the priest Jikaku Daishi struck a rock with his staff 1,200 years ago, causing the water to burst forth. Its greatest appeal lies in the rare opportunity to directly feel the earth's energy through natural open-air baths where the spring water bubbles up straight from the riverbed rocks, or through magnificent baths carved out of giant boulders. Surrounded by lush nature, visitors can fully enjoy the healing powers of these famous waters, also known as the waters of fertility,...

Yamagata
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Yamagata

Mogami Town

Mogami Town in Yamagata Prefecture is a quiet mountain town where history and the legend of Yoshitsune live on, dotted with charming hot spring villages such as Akakura Onsen, which boasts a 1,200-year history, and Semi Onsen, famous for its skin-beautifying waters. In addition to spending relaxing time amidst the beautiful virgin beech forests—the first in Japan to be selected as one of the Top 100 Water Source Forests—and the pristine natural environment near the headwaters of the Mogami River, visitors can savor rich agricultural products like the local brand Mogami Beef and fresh asparagus. It is a perfect destination...

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