Tendo Mogamigawa Onsen; Yupia

Insider tip — Tendo is Japan's undisputed shogi (Japanese chess) capital — producing over 95% of all hand-carved shogi pieces (koma) from boxwood and cherry wood, with artisans trained in centuries-old techniques. The annual Human Shogi Festival in May stages a living chess match with costumed actors as playing pieces. Yupia onsen on the Mogami River provides the contemplative counterpart to the city's craftsman intensity — relaxing in warm sodium-chloride waters while pondering the geometric depth of shogi is a distinctly Tendo pleasure. The Tendo Sakura Matsuri cherry blossom festival is one of Yamagata's most celebrated spring events.