The town of Takahata (高畠町 Takahata-machi) in Yamagata Prefecture (山形県 Yamagata-ken) remains an area to be explored by many people, with its rich history and heritage, as well as its beautiful scenery and exquisite cuisine. In my previous article, I touched on a few historical sites of interest that showcased the growth and industrial development of the Takahata over the years.
In this article, allow me to share more on other aspects, like nature and food, that can be enjoyed in Takahata all year long!
The four seasons in Takahata, and a winter festival
Japan, being a country with four seasons, offers four different ways to enjoy its scenery in a calendar year, be it cherry blossoms in spring, fireworks in summer, foliage aflame in autumn or snow in winter. The same goes for Takahata—nicknamed “mahoroba no sato” (まほろばの里), or “land of paradise”, the moniker is due not only to its bountiful harvests, but also because of the multiple scenes of beauty that await all who step foot into the town.
Mahoroba no Ryokudō
For those looking to view the cherry blossoms in spring, the most picturesque spot in the town would be the Mahoroba no Ryokudō (まほろばの緑道). Translating to “pedestrian path of paradise”, the 6km long walking path makes use of a section of the Takahata Railway (山形交通高畠線 Yamagata Kōtsu Takahata-sen), which was closed in 1974. Today, many tourist attractions and facilities can be found along the path, and it is a favourite cycling spot amongst bikers.
There are over 700 cherry trees planted along the path, and come late April they burst into bloom, their pink blossoms a cheerful sight against the backdrop of the Ou Mountains (奥羽山脈 Ōu Sanmyaku) as one travels along the path. For those who want to escape the crowded cherry blossom sights in Tokyo and enjoy the delicate flowers in a quieter, more scenic setting, do consider visiting Takahata!
Mahoroba no Ryokudō (まほろばの緑道)
Address: Yamazaki, Takahata, Higashi-Okitama-gun, Yamagata 999-2173
Nearest station: JR Takahata Station (JR高畠駅)
Access: 15-minute walk from Takahata Station
Mahoroba Inishie no Sato Rekishi Park
Another picturesque spot where one can enjoy fantastic scenery in town is the Mahoroba Inishie no Sato Rekishi Park (まほろば古の里歴史公園 Mahoroba Inishie no Sato Kōen). As the name implies, the park contains replicas of Jōmon Era (縄文時代 Jōmon-jidai) housing and tools, of which remnants were found in Takahata, in order to let visitors have a feel of what living conditions and the living environment were like in the past during that period.
Also situated in the park are an archaeological museum, as well as Akutsu Hachiman Shrine (安久津八幡神社 Akutsu Hachiman-Jinja), a shrine famous for its beautiful three-storied pagoda. Come autumn in late October, the trees in the park, as well as those on the nearby mountains and hills, burst into different shades of flame and gold, and the sight of Akutsu Hachiman Shrine’s pagoda against a backdrop of autumn leaves is a scene you do not want to miss out on!
Mahoroba Inishie no Sato Rekishi Park (まほろば古の里歴史公園)
Address: 2136 Akutsu, Takahata, Higashi-Okitama-gun, Yamagata 992-0302
Nearest station: JR Takahata Station (JR高畠駅)
Access: 15-minute drive from Takahata Station
Dainichi Nyorai Waraji Mikoshi Festival
Takahata’s seasonal delights are not limited to only natural ones. There are also festivals and events year round that celebrate the seasons, including the Dainichi Nyorai Waraji Mikoshi Festival (大日如来わらじみこし祭り Dainichi Nyorai Waraji Mikoshi Matsuri). Held in the depths of winter on one of the first few Saturdays in January (in 2022, it was held on 9 January), prayers are offered during the festival for good health.
The highlight of this festival is the parade of a 300kg waraji (草鞋 straw sandal), being carried about the town by the young men of Takahata. The straw sandal can normally be found situated in front of a stone statue of the Dainichi Nyorai in Takahata Town, but on the day of the festival, it doubles up as a portable shrine.
While there are similar festivals involving straw sandals in the Tohoku Region (東北地方 Tōhoku-chihō), they are mostly carried out in summer, making Takahata’s a unique sight and one of its winter traditions not to be missed!
Ryūjuin Dainichi Nyorai Stone Buddha (竜寿院大日如来石仏)
Address: 3654 Takahata, Takahata, Higashi-Okitama-gun, Yamagata 992-0351
Nearest station: JR Takahata Station (JR高畠駅)
Access: 10-minute drive from Takahata Station
While the climate of Takahata is largely mild, it can get pretty chilly in spring and summer, with temperatures no higher than 20°C in the day and going down to single digits at night, so do bring a few thin layers you can easily throw on during the day in order to keep warm! In winter, not only is it cold, the snowfall can also get pretty heavy, so make sure you wear shoes with a good grip, and have your down jacket with you!
Tantalising treats in Takahata
Agriculture is one of the main industries of not just Takahata Town, but Yamagata as a whole. In fact, the prefecture is often referred to as the “Fruit Kingdom” (フルーツ王国 Fruits Ōkoku) due to the sheer quantity of fruit grown there! Amongst the many cities, towns and villages in the prefecture, though, Takahata is well-known for being a major fruit grower—it happens to also be the largest producer of Delaware grapes in the whole of Japan!
Another fruit that Takahata is famous for is La France (ラ・フランス) pears.
The story surrounding this variety of pear is interesting. As its name implies, it was originally from France, and brought over to Japan in 1903 not for its use as a fruit crop, but for use in pollination to create better cultivars.
As cultivation of it spread in Japan, though, so did its popularity as a fruit! Unlike back in its homeland, though, La France never really took off due to its fruit taking much longer to grow compared to other varieties, in addition to being harder to grow and more susceptible to diseases, and it eventually fell out of favour.
Today, Japan is the only nation in the world cultivating La France pears, with over 80% of them being grown in Yamagata.
Anyone who has ever sampled a La France pear before knows how sweet and juicy they are, in addition to giving off a wonderful fragrance. The fruit can be eaten as is, or made into cakes, tarts and other desserts, or yet turned into jam and juice for other purposes.
While there are many La France products that can be bought that make good souvenirs and gifts, the Yamagata La France galette (山形ラ・フランスガレット) and Yamagata La France pie (山形ラ・フランスパイ) developed by local confectionary company Cybele, in conjunction with East Japan Railway Company in Japan, are a good choice for those of you looking for something a little different!
Using La France pears grown in Takahata, Cybele makes a jam, which is then used as a filling for these two products. The galette has a buttery crust enveloping a core of cream cheese and jam, while the pie features the same jam wrapped in a layer of smooth pie pastry. Both come individually wrapped in boxes of a few pieces each, making them a perfect gift with their eye-catching colours and elegant designs!
Cybele Factory Maison (シベール ファクトリーメゾン)
Address: 2-1-13 Zaōmatsugaoka, Yamagata, Yamagata 990-2338
Nearest station: JR Zaō Station (JR蔵王駅)
Access: 5-minute drive or 30-minute walk from Zaō Station
Writer’s note: The address given above is for Cybele’s head store. There are a total of eight outlets within Yamagata Prefecture, including one in the S-PAL Yamagata Shopping Centre connected to JR Yamagata Station. In Takahata, Takahata Winery sells an assortment of Cybele’s rusks.
While these La France products are unfortunately unavailable for purchase in Singapore (though hopefully they will be someday!), online retailer Supafresh is currently holding a Terrific Takahata fair, where other products made in Takahata such as alcohol, dips and pickles are currently on sale.
Getting to and staying in Takahata
Takahata can be reached in as short as 2 hours and 14 minutes from Tokyo via the Yamagata Shinkansen (山形新幹線), and with the introduction of the E8 Series Shinkansen scheduled for 2024, travel to Takahata will take even less time! There are 7 Yamagata Shinkansen trains that make a stop at Takahata in a day, with one train every 2–3 hours, making it easy to plan one’s journey to and from the town.
Onsen break at Taiyōkan
The gateway to Takahata Town is JR Takahata Station (高畠駅 Takahata-eki). Not only is it visually arresting with its fairy tale-like castle motif, it is also one of the few stations in the whole of Japan to house an onsen, Taiyōkan (太陽館), within it, allowing tired travellers to stop over for a quick dip and refresh themselves before continuing on with their journey.
Taiyōkan (太陽館)
Address: 200-1 Yamazaki, Takahata, Higashi-Okitama-gun, Yamagata 999-2173
Nearest station: JR Takahata Station (JR高畠駅)
Access: Within Takahata Station
Stay overnight at Folkloro Takahata
Even though a day trip from Tokyo to Takahata is possible given the relatively short travel time and ease of access, staying a night or two is always recommended to experience all the warm hospitality that Takahata has to offer—and what better place to stay at than the Folkloro Takahata (フォルクローロ高畠)!
Situated right next to Takahata Station and accessible via a passageway connecting the two, there is no fear of not being able to find the hotel, and definitely no need to walk about in the rain or snow with a map in your hand!
Being right next to the station also means that one can wake up to a view of trains pulling into and departing from the station—and indeed, the train view rooms the hotel has to offer are popular with guests, so you may have to book early in order to avoid disappointment.
Another perk of staying at Folkloro Takahata is unlimited access to the above-mentioned Taiyōkan at absolutely no extra cost. For those of you who have always wanted to experience an onsen but are a little shy to enter with other people, this is your chance to enjoy the baths in peace, be it a late-night dip before you head to bed or a morning bath to charge you for your day of exploration ahead!
The hotel also offers free breakfast featuring locally grown delicacies to all staying guests, as well as a restaurant where one can enjoy lunch and dinner at affordable prices, so do make sure you have your fill of the tasty treats of Takahata before setting off on the next leg of your journey!
Folkloro Takahata (フォルクローロ高畠)
Address: 200 Yamazaki, Takahata, Higashi-Okitama District, Yamagata 999-2173
Nearest station: JR Takahata Station (JR高畠駅)
Access: Right next to Takahata Station
JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area)
There are a plethora of JR rail passes available to foreign tourists that make travelling via shinkansen or other limited express trains hassle-free—for those interested in travelling to Takahata, the JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area) is the one you want to get!
Its price of ¥30,000 might seem a little steep for those unfamiliar with these passes, but it is of excellent value, allowing for 5 consecutive days of unlimited use in Tokyo and the Tohoku Region. That is ¥6,000 per day of travel, a huge bargain when you consider that round-trip shinkansen tickets frequently cost at least as much as, if not more, than the pass!
In fact, a round-trip ticket between Tokyo and Takahata already costs ¥21,000 yen—by buying the pass, you get to visit more places in the surrounding prefectures for 4 more days at exactly the same price!
Previously, in order to purchase rail passes, one had to first buy a voucher while in one’s country, and then exchange that for the rail pass at certain collection points at major JR East stations after entering Japan.
While that method is still valid today, you can now purchase the pass directly from ticketing offices at selected JR East stations in Japan after arrival, thereby eliminating the need to buy anything before entering Japan!
To find out more about the area covered by the JR EAST PASS (Tohoku area), as well as more information regarding its terms and conditions, click here.
Shall we take a trip to Takahata?
I hope my two articles on Takahata have taken all of you on a trip to this wonderful place! There is so much to explore and enjoy in this town, no matter which time of the year you visit—do consider adding this place to your list of destinations to visit once Japan finally opens her borders to tourists again, and head down to experience the warm hospitality, delicious foods and beautiful scenes Takahata has to offer!
Header image credit: 高畠町観光協会 (top two), Yamagata Prefectural Government (lower two)
