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All Japan Yamagata

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Yamagata

3 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Yamagata, Japan

Updated October 31, 2024
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Unusual Attractions in Yamagata

Yamadera, the mountain temple of Yamagata.

Yamagata, Japan

Yamadera Temple Complex

The Buddhist temples of Yamadera, built into a mountain side, feature a viewing deck with sweeping views.
One of the most scenic, yet lesser-visited sights in Yamagata.

Yamagata, Japan

Tarumizu Sanctuary

A sacred place for ascetic training, set in a honeycomb-walled cliffside cave deep in the woods.

Yamagata, Japan

Night-Crying Sumo Wrestlers

A quartet of temple guardian statues that allegedly cry at night for being forbidden from wrestling.
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The heart seen from the viewing area level with it.

Sendai, Japan

Nozokibashi Heart

A heart-shaped rock hollow amid lush scenery in Japan.
21 miles from Yamagata
A closer look at the stone

Shiroishi, Japan

Shinseki Shiroishi (God Stone of Shiroishi)

A town's namesake rock has served as a spiritual matchmaker for hundreds of years.
23 miles from Yamagata
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Explore Yamagata, Japan

Buddhism 2
Temples 2
Statues 1
Sculptures 1
Grottoes 1
Landscapes 1
Sanctuaries 1
Stairs 1
Wrestling 1
Saints 1

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Recent Yamagata Activity

  • MyloTiger

    wants to go to Tarumizu Sanctuary

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    wants to go to Yamadera Temple Complex

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    wants to go to Night-Crying Sumo Wrestlers

  • superduper1120

    wants to go to Tarumizu Sanctuary

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    wants to go to Tarumizu Sanctuary

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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