FLAVOR AND FUN

FLAVOR AND FUN

Gourmet and food in Yamagata
A kingdom of rich gastronomy and wine that will never make you go hungry.
Experience the best cuisine.

Yamagata's local sake

The intense frigid winters and clear water of Yamagata Prefecture are ideal for sake or rice wine brewing, hence the prefecture known as the “Ginjo Kingdom of Yamagata.” One of its well known sake is Ginjoshu, a high quality variant known for its crisp aftertaste. It’s also easy for anyone to drink.Yamagata is home to 50 sake breweries, all of them bearing a Geographical Indication, or GI certification. It is also the only prefecture in Japan with such recognition that you are sure experience to experience one of Japan’s most delicious sake.

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Sugitama, a symbol which indicates that new Sake has been completed

Steamed rice used to make Sake

Moromi, the process of fermentation before Sake is made

The Yamagata Sake Museum

Yamagata’s wine

Yamagata’s grapes

Yamagata Marugotsukan Beni no Kura

The Red Storehouse is the main event of Yamagata City’s guided tour, offering meals, souvenir shops, and an information center. The building was once a warehouse owned by the Hasegawa, an influential family which was once a safflower merchant over 130 years ago, and currently its members manage the prefecture’s flagship bank, Yamagata Bank. You can experience traditional Yamagata culture program at lunch time, watching an Ozashikiperformer with Yamagata Maiko (reservation required).

At the restaurant, you can enjoy handmade soba noodles, Italian cuisine using traditional and seasonal vegetables, as well as sweets. The souvenir shop is a must-go, where you can enjoy a variety of Yamagata sake for the value of only 500 Japanese Yen per drink.

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Tsuruoka Ryori Suzune

The best thing about this restaurant is the delicious meals cooked and prepared right in front of your eyes. While you are waiting for the rice to be cooked, you will be served Japanese dishes one after another, all of which are beautiful and delicious.The ingredients used at Tsuruoka Ryori Suzune are known by their signature freshness and quality, and by the fact that they are all harvested in Yamagata. The owner takes time to carefully select and curate the best ingredients for every meal. He goes to the market every morning and carefully selects the best catch of fish. The owner also grows wild vegetables in his own farm and serves them fresh each morning. The rice is made from Tsuyahime variant rice produced in the prefecture’s Haguro region, and the meat is purchased directly from local suppliers.

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The Residence of Count Uesugi

The residence of Count Uesugi Michinori Uesugi, the 14th generation of the Uesugi family, is a nationally designated tangible cultural property from Yamagata, and is very popular among Japanese tourists as a ryotei where you can enjoy traditional local cuisine while admiring the wonderful garden. Located next to its Shrine, Museum, and Historical Park which all bear the same namesake. Together, these places make it an ideal sightseeing route for both history and gourmet enthusiasts. In addition, Yonezawa is famous for its signature beefof the same namesake. The Yonezawa beef set menu allows you to enjoy Yonezawa beef and local cuisine at the same time.

Experience the best beef steak, sukiyaki, shabu-shabu and more – made in Yonezawa.

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Local Cuisine Megasuzu

Yamagata’s Higashine City is famous for its unique cherries. The city is also home to Megasuzu, a local restaurant which makes use of a traditional and historic old house. The tatami room is decorated with traditional hina dolls and old wedding costumes, giving visitors a sense of Yamagata’s rural heritage. It is also a popular dining spot, and is also rumored to be the home to Zashiki Warashi.

The owner of the house, 86-year-old Chiyono Yokoo, opened the storehouse and garden to tourists 20 years ago in the hope that it would become a new attraction for local tourism. In addition, she is an 86-year-old Youtuber, who goes by the name of Grandma Chiyono, and disseminates local information about Yamagata and the local community on social media platforms such as on Facebook and Instagram. This energetic and charming grandmother is looking forward to your visit.

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