Zao Yeti, Apple Hot Springs, Yamagata Hanagasa Festival - A Seasonal Feast in the Murayama Region If you think Yamagata Prefecture is only about cherry blossoms and Ginzan Hot Springs, you probably haven't truly entered the world of the Murayama region. Located in the heart of Yamagata Prefecture, surrounded by the Zao Mountain Range, Mount Gassan, and Mount Oasahida, Murayama is a place that surprises you in every season. Whether it's spring cherry blossoms, summer festivals, autumn flavors, or winter snow, every season gives you a reason to come back again. Summer | Hanagasa Dance, Three Days of Passion From August 5th to 7th each year, Yamagata City transforms into a vibrant city as the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival, one of the four major summer festivals of the Tohoku region, unfolds in the streets. Over ten thousand dancers, holding red flower-patterned hats and chanting "Yassho, Makasho!", dance the Hanagasa dance to the rhythm of taiko drums. The procession sweeps through the city center, with laughter, drumbeats, and shouts echoing along the way. Audience members can also join in the dance on the spot.
Zao Snow Monster, Apple Hot Spring, Yamagata Hanagasa Festival – A Four Seasons Feast in the Murayama Region
If you think Yamagata Prefecture is only about cherry blossoms and Ginzan hot springs, you probably haven't truly experienced the world of the Murayama region. Located in the very center of Yamagata Prefecture, surrounded by the Zao Mountain Range, Mount Gassan, and Mount Ōasahima, Murayama is a place that surprises you in every season. Whether it's the cherry blossoms in spring, the summer festivals, the autumn flavors, or the winter snow, every season gives you a reason to come back again.