Tsuruoka Park

Tsuruoka Park is a castle-ruins park located by taking a bus about 10 minutes from JR Tsuruoka Station, getting off at “Shiyakusho-mae,” and walking about 2 minutes. Long loved as a place of relaxation for both tourists and locals, it was created in 1875 on the former site of Tsuruoka Castle. As remnants of the castle, the Honmaru and Ninomaru remain; within the Honmaru are now the “Shonai Shrine” and “Taiho-kan,” which honors and introduces notable figures from Yamagata. Tsuruoka Park is also known as a setting in the works of author Shuhei Fujisawa. The park includes the “Shuhei Fujisawa Memorial Museum,” which displays materials about him and hosts lectures and events. Many people associate Tsuruoka Park with cherry blossoms. In spring, Somei Yoshino and double-flowered cherry trees bloom beautifully, and about 730 cherry trees are planted throughout the park. The spectacular scenery at peak bloom has been selected as one of Japan’s “Top 100 Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots.”