Tendo from Yamagata City

Tendo lies about 12 km northeast of Yamagata City and is reached in just 21 minutes on the local JR Ou Main Line train, which runs roughly hourly from Yamagata Station for about ¥240 ($1.60). The town produces roughly 95 percent of Japan's handmade shogi (Japanese chess) pieces, a craft tradition visible throughout the town in shop displays, workshop demonstrations, and even a giant shogi board set into Tendo Park, where costumed players move human-sized pieces during the town's annual spring event. A typical day starts with the short mid-morning train from Yamagata, followed by a stroll through Tendo Park in April to see cherry blossoms framing the shogi-piece displays, then a visit to a local craft workshop to watch artisans hand-carve and letter pieces from cherry or boxwood. Tendo Onsen, the town's hot spring district near the station, offers several public bathhouses and day-use ryokan baths for an afternoon soak, typically ¥300-500 ($2-3.30) for entry. Lunch options include soba restaurants and small izakaya near the shogi museum. Because the town's main sights cluster within walking distance of Tendo Station, the destination works well as a half-day trip, with April standing out for the combination of cherry blossoms and shogi-related events, while the onsen baths remain a year-round draw regardless of season.