This temple belongs to the Nichiren sect. Many people come here to pray for good luck and safety. The architecture is really beautiful and unique—definitely worth a visit.
The castle was destroyed by the atomic bomb but was later rebuilt to look like the original. Inside the main keep, there's a museum focused on samurai culture. The view from the observation deck on the 5th floor is fantastic.
The subway exit is inside a shopping mall, and the layout is like a maze—it took some effort to finally reach the famous intersection. You’ll find the 109 shopping building, the Hachiko statue, and the busy crossing. It’s just like the scenes you see in Japanese dramas, but now it’s real.
The Mogami River is known as the mother river of Yamagata and is one of Japan’s three great rapids. It flows into the Sea of Japan at Sakata. I took the Mogami Gorge Basho sightseeing boat—when it’s cold, they provide a roof and heated tables on board. It really felt like the famous poem: 'While the monkeys on both banks keep calling, my light boat has already passed through a thousand mountains.'
Yamadera feels like a place where ascetic monks train. To reach the top, you have to climb on foot, which is pretty tough, but the beautiful scenery along the way makes it all worthwhile.