Tsuruoka
Introduction
Tsuruoka is a city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, and the largest in the Tōhoku region by land area. Its 1,311.53 square kilometres take in a wide spread of terrain, so expect to cover ground if you want to see what the city holds.
Before you go
Before you set off for Tsuruoka, look up the local tourist association's bilingual guide site. It is the practical starting point for planning your time in the city, and because it is published in two languages you can use it to prepare without needing to read Japanese.
Use the site to get a feel for what the city offers and to shape your itinerary before you arrive, rather than leaving your planning until you are already there.
Getting there
Tsuruoka sits on the JR Uetsu Line along the Sea of Japan, and Tsuruoka Station is the arrival point for rail travellers. From Tokyo, take a Joetsu Shinkansen Toki or Max Toki service and change at Niigata onto one of the daily Inaho limited express trains; the trip can take as little as four hours. The Nihonkai night train also passes through Tsuruoka, running between Osaka in the south and Aomori in the north. Local trains from Tokyo are slow and poor value compared with the bus, though they become worthwhile if you are travelling on a Seishun 18 ticket.
Shonai Airport is the nearest airport, served only by ANA flights to Tokyo Haneda, with shuttle buses running to Tsuruoka in about half an hour. By road, Shonai Kotsu's overnight Yuhi Express runs from Shibuya and Ikebukuro in Tokyo to Tsuruoka in roughly eight hours.
Getting around
Tsuruoka has no metro or tram network, so getting around means combining trains, buses, taxis and walking. The JR Uetsu Main Line is the backbone for longer hops along the coast, connecting the city centre with outlying areas such as Atsumi Onsen, which has its own station — useful if you don't want to route everything through the centre. Shonai Kotsu runs local bus routes alongside its Tokyo overnight service, and the airport shuttle is the most visitor-relevant bus; check the city's official English website for local routes and timetables. Taxis are a sensible choice for spots buses don't serve conveniently, or when you have luggage or the weather is poor. The central city is walkable for day-to-day needs, but given the city's enormous land area, walking alone won't get you to the coastal beaches, the hot springs or the Three Mountains of Dewa.
Plan for the weather. Tsuruoka sees significant precipitation year-round, heaviest from July to January, and the region is known for heavy winter snowfalls — in neighbourhoods such as Sekigawa and Atsumi, cleared roads can end up lined with high snow walls. Build extra time into winter travel and favour trains, buses or taxis over long walks when conditions are poor. Autumn colour generally arrives from late October into mid-November, with the first snows usually in late November and peaking around January. Buy rail tickets as you would anywhere on the JR network; for buses, pay the fare on boarding or as directed by the operator. For anything route-specific, the city's official English website is the best place to confirm current services before you travel.
Where to stay
For accommodation, base yourself either in the city centre or at Yunohama hot spring. The central option puts you within easy reach of the station and the city's sights, while Yunohama suits travellers who want to build their stay around hot spring bathing.
- Apa Hotel Tsuruoka — a standard-issue business hotel right next to the train station, with cubicle-sized rooms.
- Hotel Alpha-1 — another business hotel, useful if you want a straightforward central stay.
Food & drink
Tsuruoka's culinary fame rests on dadacha-mame, the local variant of edamame. The pods look and taste something like peas, and many visitors are surprised to learn that this snack, too, is made from soybeans. Seek it out as a starter or bar snack while you are in the city.What to see and do
Tsuruoka rewards slow wandering, and much of its character is bound up in the old castle grounds. In Tsuruoka Park you can visit Shonai Shrine, built to honour Lord Sakai Tadatsugu and three of his contemporaries, and just southwest of the park stands the Chidokan, a clan school for samurai children founded centuries ago by Sakai Tadanori and the last of its kind in the region. The Chido Museum rounds out the historic core with an open-air collection of buildings from the former Shonai domain, among them a traditional samurai residence, a Meiji-era police station and a Western-style building.
Beyond the centre, the city's temples repay a day of exploring. Zenpoji Temple, founded in the 1200s, is known for its five-storied pagoda and several other temple buildings. Several temples in the area house sokushinbutsu, Buddhist mummies of men who mummified themselves: Honmyoji holds the mummy of the samurai Togashi Yoshibei, the oldest and said to be the best-preserved of the city's mummies; Nangakuji houses that of Tetsuryukai; Churenji shelters Tetsumonkai and is also said to have been built by the famous priest Kukai; and Dainichibo is another of the sokushinbutsu temples. For something entirely different, the Kamo Aquarium keeps a remarkable collection of jellyfish, with the Jellyfish Dream House of moon jellyfish as a highlight alongside other exhibits and sea lion shows; its restaurant serves jellyfish ramen and jellyfish ice cream, both containing real jellyfish.
When to go
Tsuruoka has a humid subtropical climate, so the weather shapes any trip you plan. Summers are warm to hot and often humid, with August the hottest month on average, and this is also when the wettest stretch of the year begins, so rain is a regular companion to the heat. Precipitation is significant year-round but heaviest from July through January, with December the wettest month; if you visit in this window, expect frequent wet weather and plan accordingly.
Winters are cold and sometimes severely cold, and the region is known for heavy snowfall, with the real peak generally around January. In neighbourhoods like Sekigawa and Atsumi, up to 2 meters of snow can fall, and after removal it leaves high snow walls standing along the roads. The first snows usually come in late November. For autumn colour, the red leaves generally appear at the end of October and last until mid-November, overlapping with the arrival of those first snows.
Three days in Tsuruoka
Day one: Arrive in Tsuruoka and get your bearings in the city before heading out to the Three Mountains of Dewa, the spiritual heart of the region. Plan your visit around the mountain paths and shrines, and take your time rather than rushing the climb. In the evening, return to the city and sample local Japanese cooking.
- Base yourself in Tsuruoka and use the city as your starting point for the Three Mountains of Dewa.
- Allow a full afternoon for the mountain shrines.
Day two: Head to Atsumi Onsen on the JR Uetsu Main Line to soak in the hot springs and enjoy the Sea of Japan coast. The train ride itself is part of the day, winding through the countryside of Yamagata Prefecture. Return to Tsuruoka for dinner.
- Take the JR Uetsu Main Line to Atsumi Onsen.
- Spend the afternoon at the onsen before returning to the city.
Day three: Use your final day to explore Tsuruoka itself. If you are departing by air, Shonai Airport is served by ANA flights to Tokyo Haneda; if you are continuing by rail, Tsuruoka Station connects to the JR Uetsu Line. Pick up any last local specialties before you leave.
- Shonai Airport: ANA connections to Tokyo Haneda.
- Tsuruoka Station: JR Uetsu Line services.