Famous Port City of Northern Japan - Sakata

After the stay at Yunohama Onsen of Tsuruoka, we visited Sakata City which is located right next to Tsuruoka. By the way, these two cities have been in rivalry for a long time in the western region of Yamagata. I heard they don't like each other.

Sakata is one of the major port cities on the Sea of Japan side and been flourishing since the port opened in the 17th century. But those days are almost over, because of the economic downturn many rural cities face in the country. Although the city itself isn't a popular tourist destination, their name is well-known thanks to the big port.

There are some historic places tourists visit in the city and we stopped by at one of the famous sites - Yamai Rice Warehouse Complex. Due to the tight flight schedule back to Tokyo, we didn't have a chance to explore the whole city. But Yamai Warehouses were enjoyable enough to have a quick tour. Beautiful and quiet and the premises which were built in 1893 are well maintained. Amazingly those long-lived houses are still active as warehouses. Their retro-look exterior makes the site popular as a filming location for movies and TV shows.

Some parts of the warehouses are converted to commercial rooms such as a cafe, restaurant, souvenir shop, and museum as well. Seeing, eating, buying, it's like a all-in-one convenient sightseeing spot of Sakata.