The last weekend of June we head for Yamagata and Ginzan. We leave Friday, after work, and on the way get treated to a beautiful sunset. The Toyoko-Inn is starting to become our favorite hotel. We book it for both business- and vacation trips. It is a typical Japanese business hotel. Small, but clean, usually on a central location and on each room free internet. It is not expense, which makes going away for weekends more affordable.

On Saturday we visit Ginzan, a village filled with onsen hotels onsen hotels. You cannot enter the village by car, which makes it even more enjoyable to walk around. It looks very cosy. A promenade outside the village takes you to a waterfall, old silvermine and along the clear river with old bridges.

On the way back to Yamagata we stop at a tourist boomgaard.Here you can pick your own fruit. At this moment it is cherry season. You pay at the entrance and can gorge on all-you-can-eat cherries, straight from the tree, delicious. After all those cherries we had to do something active, so we went to the local bowling alley.

On Sunday we explore Yamagata city. We start at Kajo Central Building. From the 24th floor we have a beautiful view over the city. The Bunshokan used to house the Yamagata Prefectural Office. Now it is a museum, and the renaissance style of the building, gives you a western feeling.

After a walk along the river and through a park, it is time to go home. We do notice that also in Yamagata safety comes first. Next to various signs with arrows and warnings, there is a guy who makes sure you don't miss the roadworks.