尾花沢市の紹介｜雪降り和牛尾花沢

Obanazawa City is a birthplace of Hanagasa Dance.
"Obanazawa Hanagasa Festival" is a big and the last summer festival in the Prefecture and has been held on August 27 and 28 every year.
Festival parades (portable shrines, Japanese orchestra, etc.) are held on August 27, and the Hanagasa Dance big parade is held on August 28.
More than 3,000 dancers perform a powerful and splendid traditional dance. The entire City is steeped in the festival during the period.

Tracing the history of the Hanagasa Festival, a song sung at the time of the construction of "Lake Tokura" (an artificial lake for irrigation) in 1919 is said to be the original song of "Hanagasa Ondo."
Also, a choreography performed by construction workers using their straw hats is said to be the original dance of Hanagasa Dance.

At present, dances of five traditional schools have been handed down.
Kasamawashi, a dance in which people turn their large straw hats, is overwhelming.

Ginzan Hot Spring is one of the popular tourist spots in Yamagata where there are 13 hotels having the history of Ginzan.

Hot spring resorts having the atmosphere of the Taisho Period warmly welcome visitors.
There is a cobblestone street along the Ginzan River and soft lights from gas lamps are reflected on the surface of the River.
Old wooden three- and four-story hotels line both sides of the street.
If you make a little side trip, you can see Ginkodo (silver cave) that prospered as one of the three largest silver mines in Japan, which makes you think of the good old times.
Beautiful seasonal sceneries in Ginzan Hot Spring, such as refreshing sound from the river in summer and warm lights from gas lamps reflected against snow in winter, will entertain you.

Hotels in Ginzan Hot Spring provide seasonal dishes mainly using specialties of Obanazawa.
There are many hotels providing "Yukifuri Wagyu Obanazawa" where guests can refresh themselves both physically and mentally.

Many people mention watermelon as a specialty symbolizing Obanazawa.
Actually, Obanazawa is the largest producer of watermelons in Japan in summer.
The taste of Obanazawa-grown watermelons receives the highest rating from markets in the Tokyo metropolitan area as well as other areas across the country.
The climate in Obanazawa, featuring wide differences between daytime and night-time temperatures, has a positive effect on the taste.
The strict control on the quality of watermelons taken by farmers and people working at the fruit sorting place is also a factor in gaining high popularity.