 Yamagata Prefecture (山形県, Yamagata-ken) - A
prefecture of Japan located in the Tohoku region on Honshū
island. Its capital is Yamagata.
Yamagata Prefecture is located in the southwest corner of
Tohoku, 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.
 The aboriginal Ezo people (蝦夷）once inhabited the area now
known as Yamagata. 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 1649, the famous haiku poet, Matsuo Bashō visited
Yamagata during his five-month trip to the northern regions
of Japan. Yamagata, with Akita Prefecture, composed Dewa
Province until the Meiji Restoration.
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 here.
Festivals and events
Yamagata Prefecture has a number of annual festivals and
events.
The largest is the hanagasa matsuri (花笠祭り) which takes place
in Yamagata City on the first weekend in August, when
thousands of people perform the hanagasa dance in the city
centre and attracts up to 300,000 spectators. Yamagata City
is the home of the bi-annual Yamagata International
Documentary Film Festival in October.
In February, a snow lantern festival is held in Yonezawa at
the Uesugi Shrine. Hundreds of candle-lit lanterns light
pathways dug into the snow around the shrine. Yonezawa is
also the site of the Uesugi Festival (上杉祭り, uesugi matsuri)
in mid-spring. The festival's highlight is a re-enactment of
the 'Battle of Kawanakajima' on the banks of the Matsukawa
River.
In September, Yamagata Prefecture is famous for its imoni, a
potato stew popular in Northern Japan during the autumn.
Imonikai, potato soup parties, are very popular during this
season, and many tourists come to Yamagata Prefecture
specifically for its particular style of imoni.
Art
Beginning in 2003, Yamagata city officials with the aid of
Tohoku 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.” 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 seated Vairocana Buddha made
from zelkova wood, was found. Other significant works
include sculptures from the Heian Period (794–1185) and
Kamakura 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.
Language
Yamagata Prefecture is also known for its local dialect
Yamagata-ben, sometimes thought of as backward sounding and
the butt of jokes in other parts of Japan. The 2004 movie
Swing Girls (スウィングガールズ), co-written and directed by Shinobu
Yaguchi, is set in Yamagata and makes use of Yamagata-ben
for comedic purposes.
Tourism
The temple of Yamadera, carved into the mountainside near
Yamagata City, is a major attraction.
The Dewa Sanzan are three holy mountains that form a
traditional pilgrimage for followers of the Shugendo branch
of Shinto. The famous Gojudo (five-story pagoda) is at the
base of Mt. Haguro, the lowest of the three mountains.
Mount Zao 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 Swamp) because its color changes according to the
weather.
Thirteen cities are located in Yamagata Prefecture:
Higashine
Kaminoyama
Murayama
Nagai
Nanyō
Obanazawa
Sagae
Sakata
Shinjō
Tendō
Tsuruoka
Yamagata (capital)
Yonezawa
Information source: “Yamagata Prefecture.” wikipedia.org. Article
date: 22 Dec. 2007. Retrieved: Wikipedia. 4 Mar. 2008 <Yamagata Prefecture>. |
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