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  

A new animated feature film, “My Oni Girl” (Suki demo Kirai na Amanojaku), will be in domestic theatres and exclusively on Netflix on Friday, May 24, 2024! Various locations in Yonezawa are also featured in this film, including JR Yonezawa Station, Sasano Kannon, Onogawa Onsen and many more! If you stay in Yonezawa, you can sign up for a free advanced screening of the film! Stay tuned for more details regarding the registration!     Screening date: Saturday, May 11, 2024 Screening sessions: 12:00 pm and 4:40 pm Venue: Aeon Cinema Yonezawa Entry capacity: 200 per session (400 in total) Registration period: From Monday, April 1 to Saturday, April 20, 2024 (Saturday) at 11:59 pm A registration link will be available soon.   Links Official website Netflix