Mogami Park

Mogami Park is famous as a park where you can enjoy cherry blossoms. In the spring, the park is filled with cherry blossoms in full bloom, allowing you to enjoy a refined and elegant atmosphere that's different from the usual. At night, lanterns and paper lanterns are set up, and the illuminated cherry blossoms create a fantastic atmosphere. On spring nights, you can get drunk on the beauty of the cherry blossoms reflected in the moat. Drinking sake or eating bento while watching the cherry blossoms at night is also exceptional. Please visit Mogami Park to enjoy the night cherry blossoms.

Within Mogami Park, there are various shrines scattered about, such as Tosawa Shrine, Gokoku Shrine, and Shinsho Tenmangu Shrine, each with different deities and blessings, such as good luck in battles or prosperity in business. When sightseeing, it's a good idea to enjoy touring the shrines. In particular, Shinsho Tenmangu Shrine is the only existing building from the feudal era, and has historical value. It's also recommended to tour the shrines while taking a stroll through the park.

Every year from April 29th to May 5th, the New Shozo Kadogaki Festival is held at Mogami Park. This festival celebrates the arrival of spring by grilling the seasonal fish, Kadogaki (fresh herring), also known as "Harutsugeu" in the northern sea during the spring spawning season, over an open fire. There are also performances of popular songs and street vendors selling food and games, making it a fun event to enjoy with the locals.

At Mogami Park, you can enjoy a variety of flowers throughout the four seasons, including cherry blossoms, azaleas, and hydrangeas. In spring, you can see cherry blossoms, while in summer, you can enjoy hydrangeas and azaleas, and so on, allowing you to appreciate different scenery depending on the season. In autumn, the park is brilliantly colored with autumn leaves. Mogami Park, where you can experience the nature of Yamagata Prefecture while walking through the park, is a spot that nature lovers should definitely visit.

Saijo Park is a park full of attractions such as historic architecture, rich nature, and magnificent views unique to castle ruins. How about taking a walk around Saijo Park and enjoying these sights? In particular, the scenery along the moat of the Shinjo Castle ruins allows you to feel the Japanese atmosphere and wabi-sabi throughout the year.