Yamagata Prefecture

Main City: Yamagata

Population: 1,078,000 people, ranking 35/47 prefecture (2019)

Area: 9,325 km²

Geographical / Landscape description

Yamagata Prefecture is located in the southwest corner of Tohoku, facing the Sea of Japan 300km north of Tokyo. It borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture to the south, Miyagi Prefecture to the east, and Akita Prefecture to the north. All of these boundaries are marked by mountains, with most of the population residing in a limited central plain. As of 1 April 2012, 17% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks.

Climate

The climate of Yamagata Prefecture is characterized by long, hot, humid summers and long, snowy winters. Both spring and autumn are short, the former often cold, the latter often warm, but both are quite dry and sunny. Winter temperatures rarely fall below -10°C in populated areas and they frequently rise above 30°C in July and August.

Recent history, culture

The most famous festival in Yamagata is likely the Hanagasa Matsuri: over three days nearly 10,000 participants dance traditional dances called Hanagasa while parading through the streets. The festival is one of the big three of Tohoku region and attracts as many as 1,000,000 spectators from all across Japan and abroad.

More chapters:

• Economic overview
• Infrastructure
• Major types of economic activities
• Opportunities for EU Investors / Exporters / Importers
• Setting up a business in the prefecture
• Other contacts