Takahata Town's Urawari Ishiki Garden is a mysterious space that feels like a different world! [Yamagata Prefecture]

Have you heard of Uriwari Rock Garden Park, surrounded by vertically sheer rock faces and offering a surreal landscape that makes you feel as if you've wandered into a video game world

This time, we will introduce Uriwari Rock Garden, a slightly mysterious and scenic space located in Takahata Town, Yamagata Prefecture, in the Mahoroba Village

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Access to Uriwari Rock Garden Park

Takahata Town, Yamagata Prefecture, where Uriwari Rock Garden Park is located, is a beautiful town surrounded by mountains in the southeastern part of Yamagata Prefecture. It is famous for its thriving grape and other fruit cultivation and is also a wine-producing region

Uriwari Rock Garden Park is located in a naturally rich area, about a 15-minute taxi ride from JR Takahata Station or about a 10-minute drive from Nanyo Takahata IC on the Tohoku Expressway

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Let's head to Uriwari Rock Garden Park!

We arrived at the entrance to the park

There are no toll booths, so it seems you can visit for free

Let's go inside right away

Once you get through the bushes..

There you will see a towering rock wall about 50 meters high that will awe anyone who sees it!

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The rock art doubles the otherworldly feeling!

Rock ornaments further enhance the otherworldly feel

If you look closely at each one, you will see that they have adorable faces, but when combined with the mysterious atmosphere of Uriwari Rock Garden Park, they also appear to have mysterious expressions

I also saw a Pokémon-like rock hiding in the grass

These are the "Seven Lucky Gods of Yamagata Mahoroba."

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A place where the mysteries of this land can be solved

There was a space that looked like a room carved into the rock wall, so I decided to go inside

There is a light hanging from the ceiling. Does this mean there is electricity?

There are some unfamiliar instruments lined up

In fact, Uriwari Rock Garden Park is a former quarry that has been renovated into a park

The yellowish tuff (rock formed from hardened volcanic ash) mined here is called Takahata stone

The quarried stone was widely used in everyday life for building structures and boundary lines, and was even used in stone chambers dating back to the Kofun period.
At Uriwari Rock Garden Park, you can see traces of Takabatake stone being mined from 1923 to 2010.

mining was done by hand using a tool called "hokkiri,"

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At the end of the tunnel

This time, I discovered a gaping tunnel in the rock face

Where does it lead? Let's go inside

Once we exited the tunnel, we found ourselves in a vast space surrounded by cliffs and greenery on all sides

If you clap your hands, the sound resonates. It would be great to sing here

All you can see are rock walls, greenery, and blue sky. Standing alone in this silent space, you begin to feel like you're not in the real world

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Natural acoustics! A space where music festivals are also held

An outdoor festival is also held at Uriwari Rock Garden Park

The Rock Cliff Music Festival combines rock cliffs, music, and laser lights to create a mysterious experience that seems unreal

The event was held in September 2022 for the first time in three years after being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was a huge success, especially among young people in their 20s

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Tsumewari Rock Garden Park <Information>

• Facility name: Tsumewari Stone Garden Park (Quarry)
• Address: Akutsu, Takahata-cho, Higashiokitama-gun, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0238-52-5433 (Takahata Roadside Station)
• Official URL: Yamagata Prefecture Official Tourism Site [Travel to Yamagata] – Tsumewari Rock Garden Park

GOOGLE MAP

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Recommended spots to visit together

Former Takahata Station

I heard that there is a place where you can still see structures made from stone mined at Uriwari Rock Garden Park, so I headed there

About a 7-minute drive from Uriwari Rock Garden Park is the former Yamagata Kotsu Takahata Station, a stone station building located in the center of town

The modern station building was built in 1934 and is designated as a national tangible cultural property

It was in use until the Yamagata Kotsu Takahata Line was abolished in 1974. You can still see the vehicles that were in operation at the time on the premises

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Former Takahata Station <Information>

• Facility name: Former Takahata Station
• Address: 1568 Takahata, Takahata-cho, Higashiokitama-gun, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 0238-57-3844 (Takahata Town Tourism Association)
• Official URL: Yamagata Prefecture Official Tourism Site [Travel to Yamagata] – Former Takahata Station

GOOGLE MAP

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summary

Uriwari Rock Garden Park, where you can feel as if you have wandered into a mysterious world, was a very important place where Takahata stone, which was essential for the development of Takahata Town, was mined

This is a recommended spot for those who want to see a slightly unusual view. Takahata Town is also a place where you can enjoy delicious wine and fruit. Be sure to check it out!

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