Blessed with towering mountains, vast open plains, and long stretches of rich coastline, Tsuruoka City is a rural farming city in the vast open plains of the Shonai Region. This is region has an absolute treasure trove of hidden gems to explore.

Located on the coastal side of Yamagata Prefecture, this city spans from the mountains to the ocean and is dotted with dozens of small villages and towns. Despite its official population of over 100,000 people, the actual confines of this city only has about 34,000 residents while the rest of these other communities that have merged with Tsuruoka make up for the rest. The result of this is that Tsuruoka is a very large city with incredible diversity and to an extent can even be thought of as a region of its own.

This city is particularly famous for the legendary Three Holy Mountains of Dewa, Kamo Aquarium, and its unique designation of Japan’s only UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.

Far off the beaten path, a trip to Tsuruoka City is a chance to escape the crowds of tourists in the big cities and even places that were once hidden gems only a few years ago. This region is one of the last beautiful locations in Japan that has yet to be changed by the massive influx of foreign tourism and offers a chance to experience Japan through the many temples, restaurants, and traditional factories that have been run for generations by the same families.