Yamagata Prefecture Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Yamagata Prefecture



Japanese:	山形県
	Yamagata-ken

Capital

Yamagata

Region

Tōhoku

Island

Honshu

Governor

Mieko Yoshimura

Area (rank)

9,323.34 km² (9th)

- % water

0.02%

Population (Octber 1, 2012)

- Population

1,151,863 (35rd)

- Density

123.55 /km²

Districts

Municipalities

ISO 3166-2

JP-06

Website

http://www.pref.yamagata.jp/
english/

Prefectural Symbols

- Flower

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius)

- Tree

Cherry

- Bird

Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)

- Fish

Cherry salmon (Oncorhynchus masou)

Symbol of Yamagata Prefecture

Yamagata Prefecture (山形県, Yamagata-ken) is a special area in Japan, much like a state. It is part of the Tōhoku region, which is located on Honshū, Japan's largest island. The main city, or capital, of Yamagata Prefecture is called Yamagata City.

Discovering Yamagata's Past
Yamagata's Natural Beauty
- Cities in Yamagata
- Protected Natural Areas
Sacred Places
Yamagata's Economy and Food
Fun Festivals
Related Topics
Images for kids
See also

Discovering Yamagata's Past

The land that is now Yamagata was once home to the native Ezo (蝦夷) people. They lived here long before modern Japan was formed.

Yamagata was part of a larger area called Dewa Province for many years. This changed after the Meiji Restoration, a big event in Japanese history.

The name "Yamagata" first appeared during the Heian period. However, it was written with different Japanese characters back then. No one is quite sure why this area was named Yamagata. Later, during the Nanboku-chō period, the name started being written with the same characters we use today.

Yamagata's Natural Beauty

Yamagata Prefecture is in the southwest part of the Tōhoku region. It has a coastline along the Sea of Japan. It shares borders with several other prefectures:

Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture to the south
Miyagi Prefecture to the east
Akita Prefecture to the north

The two most important rivers in Yamagata are the Mogami River and the Zaou River. They flow through the prefecture and are important for its geography.

Cities in Yamagata

Yamagata Prefecture is home to thirteen cities. The capital city is Yamagata.

Higashine
Kaminoyama
Murayama
Nagai
Nan'yō
Obanazawa
Sagae
Sakata
Shinjō
Tendō
Tsuruoka
Yamagata (capital city)
Yonezawa

Protected Natural Areas

About 17% of Yamagata's land is protected as national parks. These parks help preserve the beautiful nature of the prefecture. One important park is:

Bandai-Asahi National Park

Sacred Places

Ōmonoimia jinja is the main Shinto shrine (called an ichinomiya) in Yamagata Prefecture. Shinto shrines are important places of worship in Japan.

Yamagata's Economy and Food

Yamagata is a big farming area. It is famous for growing the most cherries and pears in all of Japan. More than 70% of the cherries grown in Japan come from Yamagata! Growing apples is also important, especially around the city of Yonezawa.

The safflower is a special symbol of Yamagata Prefecture. While it was once grown a lot, the number of farms growing safflower has gone down since the 1700s.

Yamagata is also known for its delicious food. Yonezawa beef is a very famous type of beef from Yonezawa City. It is one of the best kinds of beef in Japan. The city of Yonezawa is also known for its tasty soba noodles.

In the city of Tendo, people make Shogi (Japanese chess) pieces. These pieces are carefully carved from wood.

Fun Festivals

Yamagata hosts some exciting festivals throughout the year:

The Hanagasa Festival has been held since 1963. It is one of the biggest festivals in the Tōhoku region. During the festival, dancers perform while wearing "Hanagasa" hats. These hats are decorated with beautiful red flowers.
The Uesugi Snow Lantern Festival takes place on the second weekend of February. At this festival, over 300 snow lanterns and 3,000 snow lamps are lit up with candles. It creates a magical, glowing scene in the snow.