Uesugi Mochinori was born in 1844 as the first son of Uesugi Narinori, the 12th Yonezawa domain lord, and was educated to become Narinori’s successor. In the year 1866, he attempted to seize power in Kyoto but was captured by the police and failed. Then, at the start of the Meiji period in 1868, the Yonezawa domain participated in the Boshin War as a key member of the Ouetsu Reppan Domei alliance in northern Japan but was eventually defeated surrendered. Mochinori dispatched troops to fight in Shonai following this, and he succeeded his father as domain lord at the end of the year.

Later in 1871, he moved to Tokyo following the abolition of the han system. Then, he studied abroad in England, and later served as governor of Okinawa, became a member of the House of Peers and other governmental positions. As Mochinori worked to modernize Yonezawa’s industry and education, he also maintained a close relationship with the warrior family class and eventually moved back to Yonezawa in 1896.

As a member of the Kazoku upper class, he maintained the Uesugi family system and financial foundation while also managing the ancestral treasures like archives and swords he’d inherited. He passed away in 1919.

He lived through a tumultuous period in Japan’s history filled with institutional unrest, social changes and rapid modernization resulting from a volley of major historical events such as the end of the Edo period and the Boshin war. This exhibit focuses on the timeline from the end of the Edo period to the late 1890s, exploring Mochinori and the warrior family class’s lives, beliefs, their relationship, and the role he played in advancing the region’s modernization efforts.

Exhibition period

First half: 20th April (Saturday) ~ 19th May 2024 (Sunday)
Second half: 25th May (Saturday) ~ 23rd June 2024 (Sunday)

Opening Hours

9:00 am ~ 5:00 pm

Last entry at 4:30 pm

The museum is closed on 24th April and 22nd May (Wednesdays).

Entry Fee

Includes entry to the permanent exhibition

Adults: 800 yen (640)
High school and university students: 500 yen (400)
Elementary and middle school students: 300 yen (240)

Prices in brackets apply to groups of 20 and above

Children (High schoolers and below) can enter for free on 5th May, Children’s Day!
Free entry for all visitors on 18th May, International Museum Day as well!

Themed Seminar – The Kazoku domain lords and society in the region

Date: 11th May 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 2:00 pm
Lecturer: Junichi Miyama (Professor at Chuo University’s Faculty of Letters)
Venue: Denkoku no Mori 2F Grand Meeting Hall
Capacity: 120 people, on a first-come-first-served basis

Please register your interest to attend the seminar. Entry is free.

Gallery Talk (Registration not required)

The curator in charge will explain the exhibition. All talks begin at 2:00 pm.

1.    Look here! The key draws of the exhibit – 20th April (Saturday)
2.    The Boshin War and Uesugi Mochinori – 25th May (Saturday)
3.    Uesugi Mochinori and Modern Yonezawa – 22nd June (Saturday)

Venue: Special Exhibit Hall

You are required to pay the entry fee for entering the special exhibition.

For more information, please check the Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum website.

Limited Time Display of the Authentic version of the National Treasure - Rakuchu Rakugaizu Byobu (Uesugi Version)!

Dates: 20th April 2024 (Saturday) ~ 19th May 2024 (Sunday)
Venue: Permanent Exhibition Hall, Uesugi Bunkakan

Contact

Denkoku no Mori Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum

992-0052
1-2-1 Marunouchi, Yonezawa

TEL: 0238-26-8001

NAGOMI TEI at the Uesugi Hakushakutei is open! Stop by for a refreshing drink and café-exclusive dessert that you can’t find elsewhere here!
You can also rent kimono woven using Yonezawa textiles and samurai armor here for a day!

Opening hours: 10:00 am ~ 4:00 pm
Rental service hours: 10:00 am ~ 4:00 pm
The café is closed on Wednesdays, and from December to March for winter.

For more details please check the Uesugi Hakushakutei website.
 

For the low, low price of 520 yen, get yourself the Yonezawa 1-Day Bus Pass and hop on the buses to explore Yonezawa to your heart’s content! Both the city buses and the Yamako buses are covered by this pass!

If you prefer having an e-ticket instead, you can also purchase it via TOHOKU MaaS!

Sale Period

From 1st April 2024 (Monday), all year round

Price

Adults - 520 yen
Adults with disabilities or Children (Elementary school age and below) – 260 yen
Children with disabilities – 130 yen

Where to Purchase

-    When you board the bus
-    Yamako Bus Yonezawa Office
-    ASK (Yonezawa Station Tourist Information Center)
-    Yonezawa Tourism & Convention Bureau Tourist Information Center (at Uesugi Shrine)
-    Michi no Eki Yonezawa Tourist Information Center
-    Yonezawa Excel Hotel Tokyu

* The Yonezawa Sightseeing Passport will also be on sale concurrently. For more information, check this post out.

Flyer PDF

Contact

Yonezawa Tourism & Convention Bureau
TEL: 0238-21-6226 (Japanese)
 

The Yonezawa Sightseeing Passport is a special ticket that lets you enter 4 out of Yonezawa’s 6 main tourist attractions without having to buy extra entry tickets, and it’s now up for sale!

Enjoy Yonezawa conveniently with this bargain of a deal! If you’d love to learn about the history and culture of Yonezawa castle town back in the day, then the Sightseeing Passport is perfect for you!

Using the passport comes with the following bonuses:

-    Yonezawa-themed tenugui (traditional Japanese handtowel)
-    A chance to participate in a lucky draw to win various prizes like local specialty products
-    Assorted coupons that can be used in stores in Yonezawa
-    A chance to enter a lucky draw for various goodies if you solve the riddles at each site and send your answers over LINE!

Sale Period: 1st April 2024 (Monday) ~ 30th November 2024 (Saturday)

Price: 2,000 yen (Tax included)

Facilities Covered by the Sightseeing Pass

Uesugi Shrine Keishoden
This building serves as the Uesugi Shrine’s treasure house which stores and displays swords, armour and many more. The swords and armour used by Uesugi Kenshin, Uesugi Kagekatsu, and Naoe Kanetsugu are must-sees!

Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum
The museum stores and exhibits various artifacts that have connections to the Uesugi clan, including national treasures! Equipped with a mini theater, the museum introduces visitors to a breakdown of the history and culture of Yonezawa through various means. The national treasure, Rakuch? Rakugaizu By?bu (Uesugi Version), is also on display from 20th April to 19th May, and from 12th October to 10th November.

Uesugi Mausoleum
Located at the nationally designated heritage site, Yonezawa Domain Lord Mausoleum, the facility houses the remains of an extensive line of domain lords, from Uesugi Kenshin at its center to the 12th generation lord, Uesugi Narisada. A solemn atmosphere permeates the grounds.

Miyasaka Koukokan
This museum collects and displays various pieces of armour that were said to be collected by Maeda Keiji himself. Important cultural artifacts dating back to the Yonezawa domain’s days, such as those relating to the Uesugi clan as well as matchlock guns, are also exhibited here.

Toko Sake Warehouse
The grandest sake warehouse in the Tohoku region which displays sake manufacturing equipment, including 17 sake barrels that are 1.8 metres wide and deep, that dates over 100 years back. You can also experience how it was like to live in the Meiji period for yourself.

Kasugasan Rinsenji
This temple is the bodaiji (similar to an ancestral temple where the deceased family members are cared for) of the Uesugi clan and it was relocated to Yonezawa together with the clan when they moved out of the Echigo province. It is the resting place for the wives in the Uesugi clan as well as chief retainers such as Naoe Kanetsugu.

Yonezawa Sightseeing Passport Vendors

1. Yonezawa Station ASK information counter
    1-1-43 Ekimae, Yonezawa (In Yonezawa Station)
    TEL (0238) 24-2965

2. Yonezawa Tourism & Convention Bureau
    1-4-13 Marunouchi, Yonezawa
    TEL (0238) 21-6226

3. Michi no Eki Yonezawa
    1039-1 Oaza Kawai, Yonezawa
    TEL (0238) 40-8400

4. Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum
    1-2-1 Marunouchi, Yonezawa
    TEL (0238) 26-8000

5. Uesugi Joshien
    1-1-22 Marunouchi, Yonezawa
    TEL (0238) 23-0700

6. Uesugi Shrine
    1-4-13 Marunouchi, Yonezawa
    TEL (0238) 22-3189

7. Uesugi Mausoleum
    1-5-30 Gobyou, Yonezawa
    TEL (0238) 23-3115

8. Miyasaka Koukokan
    1-2-24 Higashi, Yonezawa
    TEL (0238) 23-8530

9. Toko Sake Warehouse
    2-3-22 Oomachi, Yonezawa
    TEL (0238) 21-6601

10. Kasugasan Rinsenji
    1-2-3 Rinsenji, Yonezawa
    TEL (0238) 23-0601

11. Yonezawa Excel Hotel Tokyu
    1-13-3 Chuo, Yonezawa
    TEL (0238) 24-0411

Flyer PDF

The Yonezawa 1-Day Bus Pass is also on sale now!

Contact

Yonezawa Tourism & Convention Bureau
TEL 0238-21-6226
 

Have a glimpse into the world of Yonezawa handicrafts! Ranging from Yonezawa textiles to ceramics and woodcrafts to needlework, there are plenty of wonderful works made lovingly by hand on display!

You can also purchase a craft or two if anything catches your eye!

Exhibition Dates: 28th March (Thursday) ~ 31st March 2024 (Sunday)
Time: 10:00 am ~ 5:00 pm
Venue: Yonezawa Residents Gallery (Naseba 1F)

Entry is free.

Contact

Yonezawa Denshokan
TEL: 0238-20-5646