Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture, has completely changed its landscape due to Mishima Michiyo after the Meiji Restoration.

Yamagata City was developed as a castle town of the Yamagata Domain was a commercial city that developed through the trade of the safflower, a specialty

Yamagata Castle, located in the center, is very large, with Sannomaru, on the outside, about 235 hectares, and Tokyo Dome, which is about 50.

The merchant town is built outside the Sannomaru, but the main castle, which stands in the center of Yamagata Castle, is hazy and invisible, so it was called "Kajou" or "Kasumigajou."

After the Meiji Restoration, the domains were dismantled in July 1871 (Meiji 4) when the domains were abolished and established prefectures, and seven prefectures in the current Yamagata Prefecture area were located: Yamagata Prefecture, Yonezawa Prefecture, Kamiyama Prefecture, Tendo Prefecture, Shinjo Prefecture, Oizumi Prefecture (Tsuruoka City), and Matsumine (Sata City).

There were many twists and turns after that, but in 1876 (Meiji 9), what is now Yamagata Prefecture was born.

The first prefectural ordinance that developed urban areas worthy of the prefectural capital Mishima Michiyo

Mishima as the first prefectural ordinance (governor) of Yamagata Prefecture , and the prefectural office was located in what is now Yamagata City.

Yamagata City is known as a suitable base for distribution as the Tohoku region's major artery, the Ushu Kaido, and the Mogami River was also popular in boat transport, making it a good base for distribution.

Other domains in Yamagata Prefecture were highly developed, such as the Shonai and Yonezawa domains, and were nominated for candidates, but during the Boshin War (1869), these domains were on the anti-government side, so they were unable to become prefectural capitals.

Mishima Michitsune was recognized by Minister of Interior, Okubo Toshimichi, and was active as a councilor of Tokyo Prefecture, as a director of urban remodeling plans, including the construction of brick streets in Ginza, Tokyo, and was then appointed as the first Yamagata Prefectural Ordinance in 1876 (Meiji 9).

Mishima Michito spent seven years in Yamagata, starting in 1876, and during that time he has promoted urban development projects in Yamagata Prefecture, and has achieved many achievements, including the construction of Yamagata Prefectural Office and local district offices, as well as the opening up new roads and road development projects for Ishibashi Bridge.

After leaving Yamagata, Mishima served as Fukushima Prefectural Ordinance and Tochigi Prefectural Ordinance, and in 1885 (Meiji 18) he became the Chief Superintendent of the Police.

Died in 1888 (Meiji 21). His direct descendants include former Prime Minister Aso Taro , and relatives include Mishima Yukio .

A former castle town that was transformed from wooden buildings to large stone buildings.

Mishima will leave Yamagata Castle's main keep and Ninomaru ruins as they are, and proceed with an urban development plan in Sannomaru. In 1877 (Meiji 10), a Western-style prefectural government building was built in Nanokamachi, a shopping street that had existed since the Edo period, and the prefectural assembly building was built next to it.

A wide road stretches straight south from the Yamagata Prefectural Office, with the police station, normal school, and Minamiyama School on the east side, the police headquarters, Minamimurayama District Office, industrial museum, and silk mill on the west side, and Saiseikan a little further away. The prefecture's major government offices and facilities were built here.

All of the wooden shopping streets that had existed since the Edo period were transformed into Western-style buildings that citizens had never seen before, and the townscape underwent a sudden transformation. The citizens were surprised and their expectations for the new era grew.

The great fire that struck Yamagata during the Meiji era reduced the city to ashes after the Meiji Restoration.

Yamagata City suffered two major fires during the Meiji period. The first big fire city in May 1894, called the City South Fire.

The "Great Fire in the South of the City" was fired in the old candle town (candle town/now Tokamachi 2-chome), located in the southern part of the shopping district, and the fires spread across all directions due to strong winds, burning more than 1,600 houses, mainly in Tokamachi, today.

This fire caused most of the old and merchant houses that had been around since the Edo period, but the houses that were built in the stove were spared from being burned, and it is said that since then the number of stoves has increased in Yamagata City.

In May 1911 (Meiji 44), a major fire broke out in the northern part of the city . A fire that emerges from the current Nanakamachi soba store located on the north side of Tokamachi, where the great fire in the south of the city began, burns down Nanakamachi shopping district by strong winds.

The fire then burned into the government district where the prefectural government office was located, and everything, including the prefectural government office, police stations, courts, schools, banks, etc., was burned down.

These two major fires have turned all the 3,000 houses, shrines, and more than anything, the new townscape created by Mishima Michiyo all into ashes.

Fortunately, however, the former Yamagata Normal School Main Building (Yamagata Prefectural Museum Educational Museum) and the former Seiseikan Main Building (Yamagata City Local Museum) were located a little far from the fire, so they escaped the burning and are valuable buildings that retain the appearance of the time.

The rebuilt prefectural office and National Diet Building were relocated to Bunshokan.

Unfortunately, the prefectural office and prefectural assembly building built by Mishima Michiyo are not remaining.

The current former prefectural office and the former prefectural assembly building were rebuilt in 1916 (Taisho 5), and were used as the Yamagata Prefectural Government Office and the Capitol building until the prefectural office was newly built in 1975 (Showa 50) in its current location (Matsunami, Yamagata City).

After completing the role of the prefectural government and the Capitol, after a large-scale restoration work, the Yamagata Prefectural Local Museum (Bunshokan) , and it is now known as the original building. Bunshokan is a nationally designated important cultural property, the former Yamagata Prefectural Government Building and Prefectural Assembly Building (Yamagata Prefectural Local Hall) .

The former prefectural government building is a three-story brick building with a stone exterior wall, giving it a dignified appearance.The clock tower is the second oldest in Japan after the Sapporo Clock Tower, and still keeps time. . The former prefectural assembly building is a two-story brick structure that is still used for various events such as concerts.

Bunshokan＜Information＞

• Facility name: Yamagata Prefectural Folk Museum (Bunshokan)
• Location: 3-4-51 Hatagocho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 023-635-5500
• Opening hours: 9:00-16:30
• Admission fee: Free
• Closed: 1st and 3rd Monday (the following day if it is a public holiday), December 29th to January 3rd
• URL: Yamagata Prefectural Folk Museum (Bunshokan)
• access:
  • Railway/Approximately 10 minutes by bus from Yamagata Shinkansen/JR Ou Main Line Yamagata Station
  • Car: About 10 minutes from Yamagata Expressway Yamagata Zao IC

Google Map

The Old Saiseikan Main Building was relocated and restored after overcoming the crisis of demolition.

The former main building of the Seiseikan was established as a prefectural hospital in 1878 (Meiji 11) and was temporarily privatized, but from 1904 (Meiji 37) it became the main building of the Seiseikan city hospital.

However, in 1960, the hospital was renovated, which had become too small, and it was decided that the old main building would be demolished. However, as a result of a civic group reluctantly losing a valuable building in the early Meiji period, the government recognized its importance and national designation as an important cultural property in 1966, avoiding the demolition.

As the hospital's site was small, it was relocated to the present Kasumi Castle Park (Yamagata Castle ruins) and was restored.

Since 1971, the Yamagata City Local Museum , displaying materials on Chinese medicine and Western medicine, as well as historical materials on Yamagata Castle and the local area.

Former Saiseikan main building <Information>

• Facility name: Former Saiseikan Main Building (Yamagata City Local Museum)
• Location: 1-1 Kajo-cho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture (inside Kajo Park)
• Phone number: 023-644-0253
• Opening hours: 9:00-16:30
• Admission fee: Free
• Closed: December 29th to January 3rd
• URL: Former Saiseikan Main Building (Yamagata City Local Museum)
• access:
  • Railway/Yamagata Shinkansen/JR Ou Main Line From Yamagata Station, take a route bus and get off at Kajo Park South Gate bus stop, then walk about 15 minutes
  • Car: Approximately 15 minutes from Yamagata Expressway Yamagata Zao IC

Google Map

"Former Yamagata Normal School Main Building" where the tower house from the time of construction remains

The former Yamagata Normal School Main Building was a prefectural normal school that opened in 1878 (Meiji 11), and was newly built in 1901 when it was relocated to its current location (Midoricho, Yamagata City).

After World War II, the Normal School was closed, and in 1963 it was used as Yamagata Prefectural Yamagata Kita High School, but in 1971 Yamagata Kita High School was renovated, ending its mission as a school.

When Yamagata Kita High School was renovated, the classroom section and other parts were demolished, leaving the remaining main building and some facilities, but the remaining parts were repaired and restored, and was designated as a national important cultural property, was also opened as the Yamagata Prefectural Museum Educational Museum

The tower in the center of the building is a remnant of the old school building clock tower, which was founded in 1887.

Former Yamagata Normal School Main Building＜Information＞

• Facility name: Former Yamagata Normal School Main Building (Yamagata Prefectural Museum Educational Archives)
• Location: 2-2-8 Midoricho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture
• Phone number: 023-642-4397
• Opening hours: 9:00-16:30 (admission until 16:00)
• Admission fee: 150 yen for adults, 70 yen for students, free for elementary school, junior high, and high school students (Yamagata Prefectural Museum admission fee is separate)
• Closed: Mondays (the next day if Monday is a public holiday), December 28th to January 4th
• URL: Former Yamagata Normal School Main Building (Yamagata Prefectural Museum Educational Archives)
• access:
  • Railway/Yamagata Shinkansen/JR Ou Main Line Yamagata Station: Approximately 15 minutes' walk from the east exit via Kajo Park Higashi Otemon Gate, approximately 10 minutes' walk from the west exit via Kajo Park South Gate
  • Car: Approximately 20 minutes from Yamagata Expressway Yamagata Zao IC

Google Map

Michiyoshi Mishima, who has been in the post for 7 years, is involved in about half of Yamagata Prefecture's modern industrial heritage sites.

Unfortunately, the buildings associated with Mishima Michiyo are only the former Yamagata Normal School main building and the former Seiseikan main building (part of the building), but looking at the entire Yamagata Prefecture, there are still some of the former Nishidagawa District Office (Tsuruoka City/National Designated Important Cultural Property), the former Tsuruoka Police Station Office (Tsuruoka City/Yamagata Prefecture Designated Tangible Cultural Property), the former Nishimurayama District Office and Capitol (Sagae City/Yamagata Prefecture Designated Tangible Cultural Property), the former Higashimurayama District Office (Tendo City/Yamagata Prefecture Designated Tangible Cultural Property).

They are all wonderful buildings designated as cultural assets.

It's not just the buildings. We are also focusing on developing our transportation infrastructure. In addition to the construction of new roads between cities, there are 23 roads alone and 65 bridges.

Some bridges were built at local requests, and the bridges were basically financially borne by locals, and the bridges were modernised while reducing the prefecture's financial burden by helping out areas where they were lacking.

In 2008 (Heisei 20), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry certified it as a modern industrial heritage site, and of the 26 industrial heritage sites in Yamagata Prefecture, approximately half of the projects conducted by Michitsune Mishima account for it. His tenure was seven years, and we can see how great Michitsune Mishima was in accomplishing so much work in such a short period of time.