Mt. Haguro
This mountain (SEE STORY 2) is an important center for an order of religious ascetics (yamabushi) as well as being the tutelary deity (the genius of the mountain itself) of a religion. A famous 5-storied pagoda (National Treasure) is located on the mountain also. 2,446 stone steps lines by great Japanese cedar trees lead to the shrine at the peak.

Risshaku-ji temple ("Yamadera"; Yamagata)
A mountain temple nestled amidst tuffaceous formations and numerous small temples. The beauty of this site was immortalized by the haiku master Basho.

Hotsprings
Yamagata has over 100 hotsprings, many with long histories. Atsumi Spa (Atsumi Town) is located amidst greenery and has a morning market; Kaminoyama Spa (Kaminoyama) has 500 years of history; Yunohama Spa (Tsuruoka) is a seaside hotspring resort; Zao Spa (Yamagata) has rustic outdoor baths; Ginzan Spa: charmingly retro; Shirabu Spa: in the heart of snow country.

Zao
Yamagata shares Zao with Miyagi Prefecture. The fame of the mountain is mainly as a ski resort. The slopes are excellent, and the winter scenery of show-shrouded trees in fantastic shapes makes this a unique kind of place.

Uesugi Family Mausoleum (Yonezawa)
The tombs of the Uesugi family lords, who ruled the area from 1598 to 1869, are an important historical feature of Yamagata.

Bandai-Asahi National Park
The mountain scenery of Yamagata at its best.

Sakata
This port town was an important harbor for the coastal trade boats plying the route from Osaka to Hokkaido during the Edo Period (1600-1868). The ship's chests made here are also famous, but are found primarily in antique shops.

Ken Domon Museum (Sakata)
This museum of photography centers on the work of Ken Domon, one of Japan's leading photographers of the 20th century.

Crafts
Yonezawa Textiles (Yonezawa)
This mountain city and castle town was a textile center. The charming striped cottons produced here were used for farmers' work clothes as well as for kimonos.

Japanese Candles (Tsuruoka and Sakata)
Traditional Japanese-style candles made of vegetable wax and decorated with bright floral designs are still made.

Sasano Ittobori (Yonezawa)
These charming folk figures of hawks and roosters are carved from a single piece of soft wood.

Yamagata Blade Tools (Yamagata)
A tradition of forged blade tools dating back to the 14th century.

Yamagata Kokeshi Dolls (Yamagata)
Like all the prefectures of northern Honshu (the Tohoku District), Yamagata has its traditions and styles of these turned and decorated wooden figures.

Yamagata Cast Iron (Yamagata)
Like the Nambu cast iron of Iwate Prefecture, Yamagata has a fine tradition (from the 14th century) of sand-cast iron vessels, teapots, and other objects.

Festivals

Jan.	Amahage (Yuza Town) Men dressed in shaggy grass costumes and demon masks roar from household to household in a vigorous winter ritual.
Feb. 1,2	Kurokawa No Drama (The Ogi Festival; Kushibiki Town) This festival includes No drama performances by members of the farming community, a tradition claiming a history of 500 years.
Feb., 2nd weekend	Uesugi Yukidono Festival (Yonezawa) Fairy lanterns in the heart of snow country.
Feb. 15-17	Kuromori Kabuki (Sakata) Kabuki plays vigorously performed by farmers.
Apr. 29-May 3	Uesugi Festival (Yonezawa) Ripsnorting samurai stuff; enactment of battles (maybe only one battle?) involving Kenshin Uesugi, the fiery warlord who had stomped about the country with his army and ended up as the lord of this area in the late 16th century.
Aug. 5-7	Hanagasa Festival (Yamagata) Street processions of teams wearing the Yamagata "flower hat" (hanagasa), all dancing the graceful Flower Hat Dance.
Aug. 24-26	Shinjo Festival (Shinjo) Decorated floats parade through the city streets.
Sep. 14-17	Sagae and Yachi Donga Festivals (Sagae and Yachi Towns) Autumn festivals featuring the court dances (bugaku) performed by the Hayashi family (Important Cultural Asset).