History & Culture

Said to have been established roughly 2,000 years ago, Kanazakura Shrine is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Yamanashi. It is dedicated to the deity of Mount Kinpu and the main shrine stands at the top of the mountain, while a village shrine is on the mountainside above the Shosenkyo Gorge.

Believed to have been built in 822, the Takeda Hachimangu Shrine sits on a tree-lined mountainside overlooking the city of Nirasaki. The sanctuary served as the guardian shrine of the Takeda clan, which ruled Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi) from the 1100s until 1582.

Shinpu Castle once stood at the top of this small mountain at the southern tip of the Shichiriiwa Plateau, which extends from the border with Nagano Prefecture to the center of Nirasaki for about 30 kilometers from north to south. The castle was built by the feudal lord Takeda Katsuyori, who ruled Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi) from 1573 to 1582.

Daigahara Shuku was the 40th of 44 post towns along the Koshu Kaido route that historically joined the capital of Edo with Shinano Province (present-day Nagano) via Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi). The small town has maintained its Edo-period character and feels almost like a time capsule from the past.

The town of Kobuchizawa in Yamanashi’s Hokuto region is located at the southern foot of Mount Yatsugatake and has a long history of horse breeding. There are still many ranches, stables, and horse clubs in Kobuchizawa and owners from other parts of the country keep their horses here.

Umenoki Iseki Park is a place where you can get a first-hand experience of Japan’s prehistory. The park marks the location of the Umenoki ruins, a prehistoric archaeological site and a designated National Historic Site.

Kinsei Iseki Park on the southern foot of the Yatsugatake Mountains is a historical park marking the location of the Kinsei ruins, a prehistoric archaeological site. The area includes the remains of a settlement from the Late and Final Jomon periods, which run from circa 2,470 BCE to circa 300 BCE.

Hokuto Archaeological Museum is surrounded by local history, and its collection covers items found in what is now the city of Hokuto, extending from Japan’s Paleolithic period (beginning around 40,000 BCE) to the Warring States period (1467-1568).

The Shakado Museum of Jomon Culture displays precious artifacts from the prehistoric Jomon period (roughly 14,000-1,000 BCE). Set inside a sleekly contemporary building that emphasizes the antiquity of its contents, the museum conjures up a sense of one of the very earliest chapters in Japanese history.

Built in the early nineteenth century, this mansion once belonged to the wealthy Takano family. Kanzo Yashiki means Licorice Mansion, and Chinese licorice was central to the Takano family fortune.

Rokugo Seal Museum is dedicated to insho, the ink-stamp seals that remain a distinctive feature of business and official life in Japan. The museum was opened by the local association of insho artisans, who proudly continue the time-honored skill of engraving seals by hand.

Fireworks have long been a folk art emblematic of the town of Ichikawamisato and its people. At the Fireworks Museum, the story of this  connection is told through a fascinating collection of artifacts and archive materials.

At this charming little atelier, you are invited to experience the wonder and satisfaction of learning to make washi, traditional Japanese paper.

Daimonhirin Park recreates ancient imperial China in order to reveal the roots and evolution of the Chinese characters that form part of the Japanese writing system. Surrounded by nature and commanding some superb views, the park’s enchanting atmosphere has also made it a popular date spot.

Akasawashuku, once a stopover village on the pilgrimage route from Mount Minobu over to Mount Shichimen, consists of a cluster of diligently preserved traditional buildings that make a wander through its steep, winding lanes feel like a trip back in time.

Narada Village has more than 1,300 years of history and is the northernmost settlement in the municipality of Hayakawa. Enclosed by mountains and considered an unexplored region for most of its history, the village has long been associated with folk customs, agriculture, and myth.

Amehata Suzuri no Sato Kenshoan combines a museum, atelier, shop, and riverside terrace cafe, telling the story of traditional inkstones (suzuri) through a fascinating collection of exhibits while demonstrating that this is a craft still very much alive in the twenty-first century.

A distinctive red torii gate leads to Kumano Shrine, a hillside shrine shrouded in an aura of mystery. The Shinto sanctuary has deep historical connections to the therapeutic waters of Shimobe Onsen, and is almost certainly the only Japanese place of worship to incorporate a giant slide.

Through audiovisual installations, historic artifacts, and more, the Yu no Oku Museum of Gold Mining History tells the story not only of how Minobu became a heartland of Japan’s gold mining industry, but also of the villagers who made it happen.

The modestly sized, hilltop Rokujizo Park is named for the six statues of the bodhisattva Jizo standing within it. The park is also designated as offering one of the “100 Famous Views of Mount Fuji”: the country’s most revered mountain, 27.5 kilometers to the south, is foregrounded by the effigies.

This distinctive rock feature in the Murokubo River is nicknamed matosama, roughly “the venerable target.” The rock is enshrined and worshiped as a deity of water, and stroking it is said to bring about heavy rains.

This museum is dedicated to Soho Tokutomi, a prominent journalist and historian active from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. It offers a comprehensive, overarching look at his life and accomplishments, displaying around 200 items.

The Mishima Yukio Literary Museum celebrates one of Japan's most internationally renowned authors. It pays homage to Yukio Mishima’s life and works of literature, displaying a wide range of items including first edition prints of his books, autographed manuscripts, letters, and annotated first drafts.

Kawaguchi Asama Shrine is one of approximately 1,300 Asama shrines in Japan that enshrine the deity of volcanoes in general and Mount Fuji in particular. The shrine is part of the Mt. Fuji UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

Geijutsunomori Park houses Yamanashi's two principal arts and culture-focused museums – the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art and the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Literature – within picturesque, sculpture-dotted gardens backgrounded by Mount Fuji.

Important archaeological finds from the past few decades reveal that what is now Yamanashi Prefecture has been populated by communities of humans since as far back as the Paleolithic period of 30,000 years ago. The Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Archaeology displays artifacts, mainly locally recovered, that span the entirety of Japanese prehistory.

The Kai Choshizuka Tumulus is eastern Japan’s largest surviving example of an ancient burial mound.  It can be thought of as Japan’s equivalent of the Ancient Egyptian pyramid.

Shingen Zutsumi on the Kamanashi River is a series of dikes said to have been constructed on the orders of preeminent sixteenth-century warlord Takeda Shingen. Shingen Zutsumi Park offers a picturesque, mountain range-backed view out over these historic attempts to tame once-wild waterways.

The peaceful Maizuru Castle Park in central Kofu holds the ruins of Kofu Castle. Open 24 hours a day, the park is particularly popular in spring for its abundant cherry blossoms that bloom beside the old castle walls.

Chozenji Temple is one of the Kofu Gozan or Five Great Zen Temples of Kofu, chosen by the warlord Takeda Shingen, who ruled Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi) from 1540 to 1573. The temples were tasked with praying for the protection and safety of the province.

Nojoji Temple is one of the Kofu Gozan or Five Great Zen Temples of Kofu. Nojoji’s grounds are not as extensive as some of the other Kofu Gozan temples, but the temple’s elevation gives it a clear view over the city and the mountains behind it, while its calm stillness makes it an ideal space for quiet contemplation.

Tokoji Temple, one of the Kofu Gozan or Five Great Zen Temples of Kofu, is popular for its magnificent garden. Using the natural slope of the hill, lines of carefully placed rock draw the eye to the garden’s focal point: a small pond with a “waterfall” of rocks flowing into it.

The peaceful Enkoin Temple sits on the slope of Mount Atago overlooking the city of Kofu and the Kofu Basin. It is one of the Kofu Gozan or Five Great Zen Temples of Kofu, chosen by the warlord Takeda Shingen, who ruled Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi) from 1540 to 1573.

Despite its great historical significance, Hosenji Temple is quiet and secluded. The rustling trees on the temple grounds and the calm surroundings create a sense of being alone, making Hosenji a particularly spiritual place and an ideal spot for quiet contemplation.

Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine is located amidst a dense old-growth forest, which denotes ties to the spirit world. The long, atmospheric approach to the main shrine is lined with mossy stone lanterns and shaded by tall cedar trees.

Spanning the gorge of the Katsura River in the city of Otsuki, Saruhashi (“monkey bridge”) is one of the most peculiar bridges in Japan. The elegant arch bridge is perhaps the best-known example of the hanebashi style, in which a bridge is supported by a series of cantilever beams set in the opposing cliff faces.

The Hoshino estate, located in what was once the post town of Shimo-Hanasaki, was constructed between 1849 and 1851. Several of the buildings, including the main house, rice storehouse, miso storehouse, and library storehouse, are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan.

The Sanbuichi Yusui Kan museum is dedicated to the Sanbuichi Yusui, a more than 400-year-old mountainside weir. An impressive feat of engineering in the sixteenth century, the weir remains in good condition today and its water is still used for rice farming and other agricultural purposes.

Founded in 1330, Erinji Temple is one of Yamanashi’s most famous Zen temples. Its grounds are quiet and tranquil with many beautiful spots, beginning with the tree-lined entrance path.

Now a museum, Miyakoen played a key role in the early days of winemaking in Yamanashi. The former winery building and its spacious grounds are a vital link to the early days of the region's now world-famous wine industry.

Kabuki Bunka Park represents Japan’s most emblematic theatrical form. The beautiful, 20,000-square-meter space, harmonizing with the surrounding hills, houses a kabuki theater as well as two museums dedicated respectively to kabuki culture and the history of the town of Ichikawamisato.

The Main Gate or Somon is the first gate one passes through to enter Kuonji, the grand head temple of the Nichiren school of Buddhism. Crossing its threshold is thus the first step toward the wisdom believed to be attained by those who climb the 287 steep steps up to the temple precinct.

Kuonji Temple’s majestic pagoda, standing 39 meters tall, is the fourth highest five-story wooden pagoda in Japan. Locally sourced, all-natural materials are used in the latest incarnation of the historic pagoda, right down to the foundation stones.

The village of Nishijima has deep historical connections with the production of washi, or traditional Japanese paper. Nishijima Washi no Sato invites all to experience the soulfulness inherent in washi making through simple workshops suitable for absolute beginners.

Nestled in the northeastern mountains of Yamanashi Prefecture, the tiny village of Tabayama plays an outsized role in the lives of Tokyoites. The village is home to the Tamba River, which empties into Lake Okutamako and flows onward to the Tama River, one of the capital’s most important sources of water.

Around 80 percent of Yamanashi Prefecture is verdant woodland and rugged mountain ranges. That considered, it is fitting that the prefecture’s principal museum tells Yamanashi’s fascinating story through the lens of the relationship between nature and humankind.

The quiet, peaceful Sakaorinomiya Shrine has a very long history, being the only Shinto shrine in Yamanashi Prefecture mentioned in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, the two eighth-century chronicles of early Japanese history.

Zenkoji Temple was established in 1558 by the warlord Takeda Shingen, who ruled Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi) from 1540 to 1573. The temple’s atmosphere invites solitary acts of quiet contemplation, and on clear days, there is a stunning view of Mount Fuji from the main hall’s front steps.

Nishiura is a nightlife district – a maze of alleyways crammed with dozens of tiny  bars, featuring architecture that’s remained largely unchanged since several decades ago, and bathed in the warm glow of lanterns and vintage street lights.

Hokoji Temple is a Shingon Buddhist sanctuary also known as the Temple of Flowers for its lush front garden, filled with a wide variety of flowers. These include plums, camellias, cherry blossoms, hydrangeas, and bush clovers, plus a great many maple trees, giving the temple colorful natural scenery from spring to autumn.

The mountainside Daizenji Temple is also known as the Grape Temple for its long association with viticulture in Yamanashi. The temple’s monks still grow grapes and make wine, which visitors can purchase.

Taba Gorge runs from the village of Tabayama to the Yanagisawa Pass on the northern side of the Daibosatsu Ridge. As the surrounding mountains are covered in lush deciduous forests, the valley is ideal for watching the seasons change.

Located just off a winding mountain road along part of the historic Koshu Kaido route, the Yatate Cedar is an impressive sight: the tree is 28 meters tall and 15 meters wide. The cedar is estimated to be more than 1,000 years old.

Oshino Hakkai, or the Eight Seas of Oshino, are a set of eight ponds located in the Fuji Five Lakes area, on the site of a former sixth lake that dried out several centuries ago. The eight ponds are fed by snowmelt from the slopes of Mount Fuji that filters down the mountain through porous layers of volcanic rock.

The Teahouse in the Sky has long been a favorite local spot for spectacular views of Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko. It is noted for having hosted many Japanese literati, most notably twentieth-century authors Masuji Ibuse and Osamu Dazai.