Yonezawa Tourism: Enjoy Yonezawa Beef for Lunch! A 2-Day, 1-Night Trip without a Car [Yamagata 2-Day, 1-Night Trip①]

This is a 2-day, 1-night Yamagata itinerary, car-free, using public transportation. It was enjoyable even without a car. Here’s a rough itinerary:

Day 1
7:15 AM flight from Haneda → Yamagata → Yonezawa → Uesugi Family Mausoleum → Uesugi Shrine → Matsusaki Shrine → Toko Sake Brewery → Bekoya → Takahata Winery → Yamagata Castle Ruins → Overnight stay near Yamagata Station

Day 2
Yamagata Station → Risshakuji Temple → Ginzan Onsen → Yamagata Airport, 7:10 PM departure

Day 1. Depart Haneda on a 7:15 AM flight to Yamagata. Arrive at Yamagata Airport at 8:15 AM.

There is a snow limousine bus from Yamagata Station to coincide with your flight. Take the 8:30 AM limousine bus from the airport to Yamagata Station. Some buses don’t accept IC cards. The bus I took didn’t accept IC cards either, so payment was cash only.

Arrived at Yamagata Station at 9:10 AM. From here, we head to Yonezawa Station. This time, we’ll be reporting on sightseeing in Yonezawa.

Yonezawa Sightseeing: Visiting the Uesugi Family Mausoleum

Take the 9:34 AM Ou Main Line bus bound for Yonezawa from Yamagata Station (note that it runs approximately once an hour). IC cards are not accepted, so purchase a ticket (860 yen). From Yonezawa Station, take the 10:35 AM City Loop Line (Clockwise) bus. Get off at the Gobyosho West Exit stop. From there, walk three minutes to the Uesugi Family Mausoleum.

This place has a solemn atmosphere, and Uesugi Kenshin rests directly in front of it. The museum next to the reception is also interesting, and the viewing time is approximately 20 minutes. There are many mosquitoes in the summer, so be sure to bring insect repellent.

Uesugi Family Mausoleum
Address: 1-5-30 Gobyō, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture
Phone: 0238-23-3115
Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Reception closes at 4:30 PM)
Admission Fee: Adults 400 yen, High School and University Students 200 yen, Elementary and Junior High School Students 100 yen

Yonezawa Sightseeing: Uesugi Shrine

A 10-minute walk takes you to Uesugi Shrine. Located in Matsugasaki Park (the site of Yonezawa Castle), this shrine enshrines Uesugi Kenshin.
A handsome Uesugi Kenshin will welcome you!

Uesugi Shrine is located in Matsugasaki Park (on the site of Yonezawa Castle) and is dedicated to Uesugi Kenshin.
Formerly a special government-supported shrine, it is one of the shrines dedicated to feudal domain founders that was popular from the late Edo period to the early Meiji period.

Feel the romance of history here before heading to your next destination.

Yonezawa Tourism: Experience Japanese sake culture at the Toko Sake Brewery

The Toko Sake Brewery is a 10-minute walk from Uesugi Shrine.

At the Toko Sake Brewery Museum, you can observe the sake production process.
In the exhibit on sake rice used for sake, you’ll be amazed at the difference in the polishing rate of the rice used, which is even more polished than the rice you normally eat!

For an admission fee of ¥350, you can learn about the sake brewing process, purchase souvenirs, and even sample the sake (for a fee).

Toko Sake Brewery Museum
3-22 Omachi 2-chome, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture (Yanagimachi Kamidori)
TEL: 0238-21-6601
Email: info@tokonosakagura.com
Opening Hours: Weekdays: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Admission Fee: ¥350 Adults, ¥250 Middle and High School Students, ¥150 Elementary School Students
Closed: December 31st and January 1st
*During the winter months of January and February, the museum is closed every Tuesday.

Yonezawa Lunch: Head to Bekoya for a Yonezawa Beef Lunch

Walk 10 minutes toward Yonezawa Station and enjoy Yonezawa beef at Bekoya, a popular restaurant.

It was lunchtime on a Sunday, so there was a 40-minute wait at Bekoya. I splurged and ordered the “Yonezawa Beef Loin Lunch” (4,900 yen).

The melt-in-your-mouth Yonezawa beef, seasoned with salt, pepper, and wasabi, is amazing! It’s worth waiting in line!

For lunch in Yonezawa, be sure to visit Bekoya!

Head to Takahata Winery

After lunch, head back to Yamagata Station from Yonezawa Station on the Ou Main Line to Takahata Station (trains run once an hour). It’s a 15-minute walk from the station to Takahata Winery. Takahata Winery is a wonderful winery.

At Takahata Winery, you can enjoy a tasting for 300 yen per glass while admiring the view of the vineyards.

If the weather is nice, it’s nice to relax in a space with a view of the vineyards.
I stayed there for about 30 minutes and returned to Takahata Station.
I took the 15:41 train from Takahata Station to Yamagata Station.

I strolled around Kajo Park, the ruins of Yamagata Castle

My final sightseeing stop of the day was Kajo Park, a 15-minute walk from the east exit of Yamagata Station.

While Yamagata Castle no longer has a castle tower, the Higashi Otemon Gate has been recreated, allowing visitors to get a sense of the castle’s scale. Exploring the vast grounds will definitely test your stamina.

Yamagata’s Local Cuisine: Dashi

In the evening, I bought some dashi, a Yamagata specialty, at a supermarket near Yamagata Station.

We enjoyed it with cold tofu and rice.
The next day we plan to climb over 1,000 steps, so we took it easy and rested up before the second day.