Yonezawa: Historic Castle Town of the Uesugi Samurai Clan

Giant torii mark the entrance of the Uesugi Shrine on the old grounds of Yonezawa Castle. (Courtesy of the Yonezawa Tourism Convention Association)

A bronze statue of Uesugi Kenshin on the grounds of the Uesugi Shrine. (Courtesy of Yamagata Prefecture)

The main hall of the Uesugi Shrine. (Courtesy of the Yamagata Tourist Association)

The Keishōden first opened its doors in 1923. (Courtesy of the Yamagata Tourist Association)

A bronze statue of fiscal reformer Uesugi Yōzan. (Courtesy of the Yamagata Tourist Association)

The grounds of the Uesugi Hakushaku-tei emulates Tokyo’s famed Hama-rikyū Gardens. (Courtesy of the Uesugi Hakushaku-tei)

Hakushaku-tei serves country dishes along with local delights like Yonezawa-brand wagyū. (Courtesy of the Uesugi Hakushaku-tei)

The graves of the Yonezawa daimyō. (Photo courtesy of the Yamagata Tourist Association)