In Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, there is the ancient and prestigious Atago Shrine. The shrine is deeply revered, especially by residents of the surrounding area, and worship services and festivals are held on specific dates each year...
The Okitama region, formerly ruled by the Yonezawa Domain, including Yonezawa City, is dotted with hot springs associated with the Uesugi clan. The Uesugi clan was founded by the first lord, Kenshin, in Echigo (Niigata Prefecture).
Sokushinbutsu (self-mummified monks). Even after their lives are over, their form remains forever, watching over people. At the end of their training, monks voluntarily devote themselves to a diet of only nuts and wild vegetables, reducing the amount of fat in their bodies to the limit...
At Kasuga Shrine in Kurokawa, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, at the foot of Mt. Gassan, Kurokawa Noh, a folk performing art that has been handed down as a sacred ritual by parishioners (farmers) for 500 years, is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.
Nagai City, located in southern Yamagata Prefecture, was formed by the merger of one town and five villages - Nagai Village, Nishine Village, Hirano Village, Isazawa Village, and Toyoda Village - around the former Nagai Town, which developed during the Edo period thanks to boat traffic on the Mogami River.
What impression do you have of Namahage? I had the image of a scary demon who goes around to each house on New Year's Eve, threatening children by asking, "Are there any naughty children here?".
Mount Gassan, Mount Haguro, and Mount Yudono are known as the "Three Mountains of Dewa" and are known as mountains of mountain worship. Mount Gassan is considered a place of prayer for happiness in the past, Mount Haguro for the present, and Mount Yudono for the next...
The Rokugo area of Misato Town, Akita Prefecture, is known as the "Rokugo Spring Group," a region famous for its famous spring water. Misato Town is located in the center of the Yokote Basin, which stretches from Yuzawa City to Senboku City, stretching north to south...
The Thirty-three Kannon Temples of Aizu are a Buddhist cultural site that forms the core of the Japan Heritage-certified "Aizu Thirty-three Kannon Temples Pilgrimage: Seeing the Culture of Ancient Aizu Through Pilgrimage.".
Japanese people are a festival-loving people. There are festivals held somewhere in Japan all year round. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, festivals themselves have been put on hold for the past few years, but with the lifting of restrictions on movement, this year...
