Yamagata Province

Yamagata Province (山形州) is a province of Yamatai located on the island of Ōshima. Yamagata has a population of 587,309 and has a geographic area of 6,216 km². Yamagata borders Iwaki and Kuromori to the west, Aomori to the north, Shinano and Mizuho to the east, and Yamashiro to the south.

Yamagata is the capital and largest city of Yamagata Province. Another major city in Yamagata is Hirai. Yamagata is the only landlocked province and is heavily mountainous, with the highlands including the Akaishi mountains, North and South Kamikokuryo mountains, and Sayashi mountains. The province is a popular tourist region in Yamatai for hiking, mountaineering, and skiing. The Sanmu valley in the eastern part of the province is known for its onsen and local sake. The Imperial Household maintains a villa in the area as well. Itomori, a town located on a unique lake formed by an asteroid crater, is another major tourist destination.

History
Yamagata was not heavily inhabited due to is treacherous terrain, though the area was considered strategically important due to the valleys enabling crossings between the Iwaki and Shinano regions. In the early 12th century, the Sugawara Clan expanded into the Sanmu valley region as they took control of the north-eastern Mizuho Plain, seeking to control the source of the rivers that supplied water to the plain, eventually beginning the Mizuho War in 1127.

Following the governmental reforms made after the 1452 Shinbi War, the modern borders of Yamagata province were drawn and placed under Yamagata Commandery, which was housed at Yamagata City. Yamagata City flourished due to its status as a castle town and post station, famous for beni (red safflower dye used in the production of handspun silk). Heavy mining activity and coal mining began in the 17th century, which has continued to the modern day.

Geography
Yamagata Province is located in southern Ōshima, in the middle of the island. It is the only landlocked province in Yamatai, and borders Iwaki and Kuromori to the west, Aomori to the north, Shinano and Mizuho to the east, and Yamashiro to the south.

Heavily mountainous, there are three main mountain ranges and two main valleys in Yamagata. The mountain ranges are the Akaishi mountains in the western part of the province, the North and South Kamikokuryo mountains in the central part of the province, and the Sayashi mountains in the east. The highest point in Yamagata is the peak of Mt. Kasahara in the South Kamikokuryo mountain range. There are two main valleys in Yamagata, the Sanmu valley in the east, and the Tsuruoka valley in the west. Nine rivers have their sources from the Yamagata highlands. Three of these rivers feed into the Kahoku Lake, the biggest lake in Yamatai.

As of 31 March 2020, 17 percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks.

Cities

 * Yamagata
 * Hirai

Towns

 * Itomori

Tourism
Yamagata is a major tourist destination in Yamatai. Its mountainous terrain is ideal for hiking and mountaineering. There are also ski slopes and numerous ski resorts in the western part of the province on the Akaishi highlands during the winter months. The eastern part of the province is known for the various onsen in the Sanmu valley, due to the volcanic activity in the area surrounding Mt. Sayashi, which is an active volcano. Local sake products are also well-known throughout Yamatai.

Itomori is another major tourist destination for sightseeing, as the town is located on a unique lake formed by an asteroid impact several thousand years ago, the only such lake in Yamatai.