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YAMAGATA |
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Few tourists make it to YAMAGATA , a large, workaday city ringed by
high mountains, and those that do are usually just passing through.
Apart from a couple of engaging museums, Yamagata's prime attraction is
as a base for the atmospheric temples of Yamadera and Zao Onsen . Zao-san
provides excellent summer hiking, while winter transforms these
mountains into one of Japan's top three ski resorts, known for its deep
snow and beguiling "snow monsters" - fir trees engulfed in wind-sculpted
ice and snow.
The City
Central Yamagata occupies a grid of streets lying northeast of the train
station. Its southern boundary is Ekimae-dori, a broad avenue leading
straight from the station as far as the Hotel Castle , from where the
main shopping street, Nanokamachi-dori, strikes north to the former
Prefectural Office, one of the city's main sights. The district's west
side is bounded by the train tracks and Kajo-koen, an area of gardens
and sports facilities created on the site of Yamagata castle, where
there's a moderately interesting municipal museum. Pottery enthusiasts
might like to wander the picturesque lanes of Hirashimizu village, on
Yamagata's southeastern outskirts, and visit some of the workshops
clustered in the narrow valley. In early August (5-7), the city turns
out for its major festival , the Hanagasa Matsuri, during which yukata -clad
women wielding flowery hats perform a slow graceful dance.
An imposing, European-style building of stone and ornate stucco
dominates the north end of Nanokamachi-dori, some twenty minutes' walk
from the station. Originally built in 1911, the interior of this former
Prefectural Office (Tues-Sun 9am-4.30pm; free) has been magnificently
restored, particularly the third floor with its parquet-floored dining
room and elegant Assembly Hall. As you walk through, don't forget to
look up at the ceilings' spectacular plasterwork - it was all
handcrafted by one man at the rate of 15cm per day.
From the Prefectural Office, head southwest to the Yamagata Art Museum
(Tues-Sun 10am-5pm; ¥500-1000 according to the exhibition) beside the
castle walls. This modern museum boasts a small collection of major
European names, such as Picasso, Chagall, Renoir and Monet, but unless
there's a special exhibition of interest it's not really worth the
entrance fee. Instead, cross the train tracks to the entrance to
Kajo-koen by its beautifully restored East Gate, the only remnant of the
former castle. Inside the park, turn left and you'll come to the City
Museum (Tues-Sun 9am-4.30pm; ¥200), occupying a delightful,
multicoloured clapboard building. Erected in 1878, the museum originally
served as the town's main hospital and its exhibits include a fearsome
array of early medical equipment and anatomical drawings, including a
guide to pregnancy rendered as woodblock prints. There's also a room
devoted to an Austrian, Dr Albert von Roretz, who came here in 1880 and
spent two years instructing local doctors in the ways of Western
medicine.
Though Hirashimizu lies on the city's southeastern outskirts, this
pretty little pottery village has a surprisingly rural atmosphere.
There's just one main street and a small river running down from the
hills, which provides local potters with their distinctive, speckled
clay. If you poke about a bit, you'll find several family potteries with
showrooms (daily 9am-5/6pm), such as Shichiemon-gama on the left at the
top of the main street, just before the road splits. On the way, you'll
pass Bun'emon-gama and the attractive Heikichi-gama, all of which offer
the chance to throw a pot or two (daily 9am-3pm; ¥1500-1800 plus
postage), while the more refined Seiryudo occupies a thatched building
down the lane opposite Heikichi-gama. To reach Hirashimizu, take a bus
from Yamagata Station (8 daily; 30min) or the Yamako Building bus
terminal (hourly; 20min). Alternatively, a taxi will cost around ¥2000
one way.
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