Yamagata Castle Ruins, where the moat and stonewalls still remain. In spring, it is a popular cherry blossom viewing spot. Within the park are the city’s local museum (the former main building of the Seiseikan) and the Prefectural Museum.
Yamagata Castle, where Mogami Yoshimitsu, one of the most famous warring feudal lords in the Tohoku region, built his foundation, was designated as a national historic site in 1986, and in 2006 was recognized as one of the “100 Great Castles of Japan.
Located in the center of downtown Yamagata City, the castle was opened to the public as “Kasumigajo Park” after World War II, and in recent years, excavation and restoration projects have been underway, including the restoration of the castle gate “Ninomaru Higashi Otemon” in 1991 and “Honmaru Ichimonjimon Otobashi” in 2005, restoring the atmosphere of the past.
The heroic statue of a cavalryman standing in the grounds is of Lord Yoshimitsu Mogami. The statue depicts the heroic figure of Yoshimitsu Mogami, who led his troops into battle during the “Battle of Hasedo Castle (Hasedo Gassen)” in the Sekigahara Battle of Dewa and the Keicho Dewa Battle.
In and around the park, there are cultural facilities such as the Yamagata City Museum, Yamagata Prefectural Museum of Art, Yamagata Museum of Art, and Mogami Yoshimitsu History Museum, as well as the Yamagata City Folk Museum, which is a reconstruction of the “Old Saiseikan Honkan,” a pseudo-Western style hospital building built in the Meiji era.
In spring, approximately 1,500 cherry trees are in full bloom, making it one of Yamagata City’s most famous cherry blossom viewing spots.
April - October 5:00 - 22:00
November - March: 5:30 - 22:00
Open all year round
Free (fees may be required at some facilities in the park)
15 min. from Yamagata Station East Exit to East Main Gate
10 min. from Yamagata Station West Exit to South Gate