leisure Archives - The Hidden Japan

Sushi Workshop in Yamagata City

Learn how to prepare nigiri and rolled sushi under the guidance of a master chef in the heart of Yamagata City.

Learn about the Tsubame Sanjo area of Niigata, where approximately 95% of all tableware made in Japan is produced.

Nanukamachi, known as Nanokamachi to locals, is one of the main downtown hubs of Yamagata city featuring many cafes and a variety of stores.

A guide to the Yamagata Station area: restaurants, shopping, museums, a free observation deck, and more!

A stroll through the charming historical city of Sakata, which prospered during the Edo period as a major port for safflower and rice.

A guided hike up the 2,446 stone steps of holy Mount Haguro, with a lunch of Dewa Sanzan shojin ryori mountain monk cuisine.

Dine on Dewa Sanzan shojin ryori, sleep at a pilgrim’s lodge. Wake the next morning to harvest vegetables and learn to cook this cuisine.

Experience Iaido, a traditional sword-based martial art, at the very place it was founded: Iai Shrine in Yamagata Prefecture.

Forage for sansai (wild mountain vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms) in the pristine nature of Mount Gassan, Yamagata with a veteran guide.

Forage wild sansai vegetables on the slopes of Mount Haguro alongside yamabushi mountain monks, then use them to cook shojin ryori dishes.