Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, Tōhoku Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Yonezawa is a city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Yonezawa is most famous for its local delicacies and for being a castle town that was once home to the Uesugi clan, including the daimyō Uesugi Yozan.

History The area of present-day Yonezawa was part of ancient Dewa Province and was controlled in the Sengoku period by the Date clan. The famed warlord Date Masamune was born in Yonezawa. During the Edo period, the area became Yonezawa Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate, ruled by the Uesugi clan. After the start of the Meiji period, the area was organized into Minamiokitama District, Yamagata Prefecture.

The city of Yamagata was established on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of the modern municipalities system

Geography Yonezawa is located in the south-east corner of Yamagata Prefecture. The southern and eastern portions of the city are river basins surrounded by large mountains, forming the Yonezawa Basin. The southern portion of the city has a complex terrain with several rivers and alternating ridges and valleys orientated east to west. The Mogami River flows through the city. Part of the city is within the borders of the Bandai-Asahi National Park.

Neighboring municipalities • Yamagata Prefecture ◦ Takahata, Yamagata; ◦ Kawanishi, Yamagata; ◦ Iide, Yamagata; • Fukushima Prefecture; ◦ Fukushima, Fukushima; ◦ Kitakata, Fukushima; ◦ Inawashiro, Fukushima; ◦ Kitashiobara, Fukushima.

Government Yonezawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 24 members. The city contributes three members to the Yamagata Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Yamagata District 3 of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy The economy of Yamagata is based on agriculture, horticulture, light manufacturing and tourism.

Education: Universities • Yamagata University Yonezawa campus • Yonezawa Women's Junior College

Education: Primary and Secondary Yonezawa has 18 public elementary schools and eight public middle schools operated by the city government and four public high schools operated by the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education. There are also two private high schools.

Transport: Rail East Japan Railway Company - Yamagata Shinkansen • Yonezawa

East Japan Railway Company - Ōu Main Line • Itaya - Tōge - Ōsawa - Sekine - Yonezawa - Oitama

East Japan Railway Company - Yonesaka Line • Yonezawa - Minami-Yonezawa - Nishi-Yonezawa - Narushima

Transport: Road • Tōhoku-Chūō Expressway – Yonezawa IC • National Route 13 • National Route 121 • National Route 287 • National Route 399

Local attractions • Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum • Yonezawa Castle • Tateyama Castle • Yonezawa Onsen • Namegawa Great Falls • Shirabu Onsen (in gorges of Otaru River south of Yonezawa).