🗺️ Mountain Dwelling Warehouse

The Yamagata Storehouse is located in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture, and is a traditional earthen storehouse used for storing rice. Sakata once thrived as a rice transportation port. In 1893, 14 rice storehouses were built by the former feudal lord Sakai family, of which only 12 remain today. Among these, 9 have been used as agricultural warehouses capable of storing 10,800 tons of rice until the end of 2022. The Yamagata Storehouse complex was designated as a national historic site in 2021. Additionally, two of the storehouses have been converted into the Sakata City Tourism and Product Center and the Shonai Rice Historical Museum. The museum preserves and displays historical materials related to rice and artifacts such as agricultural tools used in the past. On the west side of the storehouses, rows of beech trees are planted to prevent indoor temperature fluctuations caused by summer sunlight and winter winds. The beech tree-lined path accompanying the storehouse complex is a famous walking spot. This location also served as a filming site for the Japanese national television drama "Ashin" and the movie "Departures" (which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2008).

The buildings from the Meiji era have now been designated as national historical sites. The tree-lined avenue with lush beech trees and the earthen wall warehouses create a charming scene, making it a representative photo spot in Yamagata Prefecture. It is also the filming location for the TV drama "Ashin" and the movie "Departures: The Pianist's Elegy." There is a tourist product center nearby where visitors can dine and taste desserts.