summer

Cycling in Yamagata Prefecture

Leave the car behind and explore the wide open plains of Yamagata Prefecture on a guided cycling tour!

This dance festival is held in downtown Sakata; hundreds of dancers fill the streets and dance to Sakata Jinku, a traditional folk song.

At the Sakata Ika Tsuri Festival, onlookers cheer on the fishermen of Yamagata as they depart on their first squid fishing trip of the year.

The Akagawa Fireworks Festival of Tsuruoka is counted among the 10 best fireworks festivals in all of Japan.

The Sakata Fireworks Festival is an extravagant riverside fireworks display that takes place in Sakata City, Yamagata every summer.

The small town of Oishida goes all out during their Oishida Matsuri, a summer festival featuring fireworks and exuberant traditional dance.

The Tohoku Kizuna Festival, a collaboration event combining the Tohoku region’s 6 most famous summer matsuri into one giant celebration!