Yamagata Prefecture produces some of the best fruit in all of Japan: Sato Nishiki cherries, La France pears, Mutai Fuji apples and Obanazawa watermelons are just some of the premium varieties from this rural prefecture, some 300 kilometers north of Tokyo.
Despite the deep snow that blankets the land during the winter months, farmers here also manage to grow excellent vegetables and rice – not to mention the local sake. There is even surprisingly good wine. And the same goes for the prefecture’s livestock: Yonezawa beef, Sangenton pork and Shonai duck have become household names across the country.
These are flagship products that command premium prices in the luxury department stores in Tokyo – and, increasingly, in much of Asia. In recent years, they have helped put Yamagata’s name firmly on the map as an apparent gastronomic cornucopia.
