Yonezawa

Yonezawa may be an unassuming rural town today, but it was once a grand castle town home to the Uesugi clan (上杉氏 Uesugi-shi), one of the most powerful families during Japan's Muromachi and Sengoku periods (14-17th century). Legendary warlord Date Masamune, the "One-Eyed Dragon", was born here in 1567. The Uesugi had an epic, centuries-running feud with the Takeda clan of Kai (Yamanashi), but they made the mistake of choosing the wrong side in the Battle of Sekigahara (1600) and as a punishment were reduced to irrelevance by the following Tokugawa shogunate, retaining only a scrap of land around Yonezawa. The castle was flattened in 1873 by order of the Meiji government, but the moat remains the focal point of the city, with Uesugi Shrine built on the castle ruins to commemorate the clan.

The Uesugi-Takeda feud provided rich fodder for NHK's historical drama Tenchijin (天地人), set in the closing days of the Sengoku era. The year-long drama's broadcast in 2009 was the biggest thing to happen in Yonezawa since 1600, and the entire town is liberally festooned with banners, statues, souvenirs and more commemorating both the actual figures and their TV versions.

Yonezawa is surprisingly spread out, and the train station is on the wrong side of the river 2 km away from the city core. If you're not in the mood to walk, grab one of the infrequent buses, almost all of which head to the city (ask for Uesugi Jinja).

• 🌍 Uesugi Shrine (上杉神社 Uesugi Jinja) (within Matsugasaki Park). (updated Sep 2015)

Some rice paddies are cultivated as artwork, with plants of various colours forming Japan-themed images. Sometimes it is a form of advertisement for a rice brand. They can only be seen from July to August.

While central Yonezawa has no hot springs, there are seven within easy striking distance, the best known being Onogawa Onsen (20 min by bus) and Shirabu Onsen (50 min by bus).

Yonezawa is known throughout Japan for its beef (米沢牛 yonezawa-gyū), an expensive delicacy, and there are three beef speciality restaurants right outside the station competing for your attention plus countless more in the city itself. Just don't fall into the trap of eating the cheapest bento boxes, made from gristly leftovers: instead, sample a course at a ryokan or speciality restaurant. With diminutive steaks easily costing ¥8,000 per head, most visitors will find stews like sukiyaki the tastiest and most cost-effective option, but locals also prize their meat raw!

• 🌍 Tade (蓼, たで). F-Tu 11:00-13:30. Had too much beef? Try these healthy soba noodles. ¥1000. (updated Sep 2015)
• 🌍 Uesugi Hakushakutei (上杉伯爵邸), Marunouchi 1-3-60, ☏ +81 238-21-5121. 10:00-21:00, closed on Wednesdays during winter. Have traditional Yonezawa food (including Yonezawa beef) in a very Japanese atmosphere just near the Uesugi shrine. Steak for ¥4000, other menus from ¥2100. (updated Sep 2015)
• 🌍 Meat Pia (ミートピア), Chuo 1-11-9, ☏ +81 238-21-0377. M-Sa 11:00-21:00. Yonezawa beef sukiyaki and tonkatsu ¥1500. 

Yonezawa is sake country and the best-known local tipple is Tōkō (東光). Appointed to supply the Uesugis, the "East Light" has been brewed in Yonezawa since 1597 and is run by the 23rd generation of the same family, so they must be doing something right. Their sake comes in a vast constellation of grades, from the proletarian fūtsūshu (¥1600/1.8L) to the top-of-the-line daiginjō (¥12,000/1.8L), and is available everywhere in town.

• 🌍 Tōkō no Sakagura (東光の酒蔵), 大町2-3-22, ☏ +81 238-27-1700. W-M 09:00-16:30. Tōkō's old brewery and warehouse, now open to visitors. Halfway between station and Uesugi Shrine. ¥310. 

For most visitors, Yonezawa is only a pitstop on their way to the hot springs of Onogawa Onsen and Shirabu Onsen, both within easy striking distance of town.

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• Kawanishi
• Iide
• Nanyo
• Nagai
• Kaminoyama
• Shirataka
• Fukushima
• Kitakata