The popular segment "Weekend Journey Oshi Tabi" from "Naruhodo Presenter! Hanasaka Times," broadcast on Saturday mornings in the Tokai region, is packed with information for weekend outings! This time, we visited recommended spots in Yamagata City, Gifu Prefecture.

Will the postcard tree grant your wishes!? Sankoji Temple, the best mountain hydrangea temple in Tokai

At "Sankoji Temple," known as the best "mountain hydrangea temple" in Tokai, approximately 200 varieties and 10,000 plants of "mountain hydrangeas" are in full bloom.

Instead of the common large, round Western hydrangeas, this temple primarily features mountain hydrangea varieties that have been in Japan for a long time. According to the head priest, "the characteristic of mountain hydrangeas is to enjoy their 'gaku' (sepals)." The large outer flowers (sepals) that frame the small central flowers vary in shape and number depending on the variety, and their color changes can also be enjoyed.

Another highlight is the "Tarayo" tree located on the temple grounds. This Tarayo tree is a natural monument of Yamagata City and is an astonishing 400 years old!

It is also known as the "postcard tree," and if you write on the back of its leaves with a hard stone, the letters will appear. It is said that if you write a wish on the back of a leaf, that wish will come true when the leaf falls.

Sankoji Temple, the mountain temple of hydrangeas
Address: 671-1 Tominaga, Yamagata City, Gifu Prefecture
Phone: 0581-52-1054

Enjoy local ingredients! "Funabuse no Sato e Onseeyoo~," a traditional house restaurant specializing in wild vegetables and greens

"Funabuse no Sato e Onseeyoo~," which means "Welcome" in the local dialect, is a traditional house restaurant run by local grandmothers, averaging nearly 80 years old, who work together three days a week (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). They offer local cuisine centered on wild vegetables and greens harvested locally.

The recommended dish is the "Funabuse no Sato Special Lunch" (1,500 yen). It's a healthy set meal featuring a total of 11 homemade dishes by the grandmothers.

The main dish, "Minced Cutlet," is exquisite with a mixture of ground meat and tofu, packed with vegetables! Also recommended is the tempura assortment, which uses a wide variety of wild vegetables unique to Yamagata City, known for its clean water. You can fully enjoy rare seasonal wild vegetables.

Funabuse no Sato e Onseeyoo~
Address: 118-1 Kanzaki, Yamagata City, Gifu Prefecture
Phone: 080-2648-8175

A direct sales store for agricultural products and original goods! "Yamagata Basket" featuring local specialties

"Yamagata Basket," operated by JA Gifu, is a direct sales store for agricultural products and original goods. It features local specialties and promotes the charm of Yamagata City.

The recommendation for this season is "Mino Musume," an original strawberry developed in Gifu. 
It has a good balance of sweetness and acidity, and its firm flesh makes it ideal for sweets and other desserts. The store offers freshly picked Mino Musume, as well as original products using Mino Musume, such as "Mino Musume Financier" (918 yen).

Furthermore, the menu at the attached restaurant "Yamagata Gohan" has been completely renewed. You can enjoy gourmet dishes centered on local ingredients grown by Yamagata City farmers.

Among them, the "Seiryu Midori Chicken Cutlet Burger with Fries and Drink" (750 yen) is highly recommended. It's a hearty dish where you can enjoy the local brand chicken "Seiryu Midori," known for its soft and juicy meat, along with rice flour bread made by an affiliated store, and a fried egg made with local eggs. The homemade tartar sauce pairs perfectly with it.

Other recommendations include the "Myogata Hot Dog with Fries and Drink" (700 yen), which sandwiches a soy sauce frankfurter made with domestic pork and kneaded with soy sauce powder in a special kope pan, and the crispy "Keema Curry Bread" (400 yen), which wraps homemade keema curry in a rice flour dough.

Yamagata Basket
Address: 699-5 Higashifukase, Yamagata City, Gifu Prefecture
Phone: 0581-32-9720

From CBC TV "Naruhodo Presenter! Hanasaka Times" broadcast on Saturday, June 20, 2026. *Information in the article is as of the broadcast date.