YAMAGATA
Located on the Japan Sea side of Tohoku, Yamagata Prefecture is know for its production of fruits such as cherries. It’s also home to magnificent nature such as the Mogami River, one of Japan's three fastest-flowing rivers, as well as the Zao Mountain Range located near the prefectural border.東北の日本海側に位置しており、さくらんぼなどの栽培が盛んなフルーツ王国として知られる。日本3大急流の一つ最上川や県境に鎮座する蔵王連峰など美しく雄大な自然が魅力的。
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1. Yamagata Hanagasa Festival 花笠まつり
This summer festival held every August 5-7 is celebrated by over 1 million people. The sight of 10,000 people dancing along in flower-adorned hats and brightly colored costumes is like an undulating wave of flowers.
毎年8月5・6・7日に開かれる夏祭りで、100万人超の人出で賑わう。花笠と鮮やかな衣装を身にまとった約1万人の人々が踊り練り歩く姿は、まるで大きくうねる花の波のようだ。
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2. Shinjo Festival 新庄まつり
Registered as an element of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2016, this traditional festival is held every August 24-26. The festival bathes the town in color with its impressive processions of floats and traditional portable shrines.
2016年にユネスコ無形文化遺産に登録された伝統の祭りで、毎年8月24・25・26日に開催。迫力満点の山車行列や古式ゆかしい神輿渡御行列などが行われ、町は祭り一色に染まる。
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3. Dokko-numa Pond ドッコ沼
This sparkling emerald green lake is 1,264m above sea level. It is a popular spot on the Zao Chuo Plateau where many people come to cool off in the summer. With a pleasant breeze blowing through a Japanese beech forest, this place is like another world.
標高1,264mに位置する、エメラルドグリーンに輝く沼。蔵王中央高原の人気スポットで、夏場は涼を求めて訪れる人も多い。ブナ林の間を心地よい風が通りすぎ、まさに別天地だ。
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4. Tamasudare Falls 玉簾の滝
Plunging straight down from a height of 63 meters, this waterfall is very impressive! It was once known as a sacred mountain training site for religious devotees, and Buddhist worshippers still come here to pay their respects. The waterfall surrounded by big Japanese cedars is a mystical sight.
63mの高みからまっすぐに落下する瀑布は迫力満点!古くは山岳宗教の修行場として知られた場所で、今も御嶽神社が祀られている。杉の大木に囲まれた一帯は神秘的な雰囲気。
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5. Katakai-numa Lake 片貝沼
Located on the Zao Chuo Plateau, the deep green of Katakainuma Lake seems to be synchronized with the trees around it. In summer the surrounding area blooms with mountain plants like rhododendrons and keyflowers, and is as beautiful as a painting.
蔵王中央高原に位置する片貝沼は、周囲の木々と同化したかのような深い緑を放っている。ハクサンシャクナゲやハクサンチドリなどの高山植物が咲き乱れる夏は絵のように美しい。
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6. Maruike-sama Pond 丸池様
This spring-fed pond at the foot of Mt. Chokai is around 20m in diameter and 5m deep. The pond has long been an object of religious devotion and is respectfully referred to with the honorific suffix “sama.” Filled only with spring water, the sparkling pond is a transparent blue color.
鳥海山の麓にある直径約20m、水深5mの湧水池。古くから信仰の対象であり、「丸池様」と呼ばれて大切にされてきた。湧き水だけで満たされた池は青みを帯びて透明に輝く。
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