Sakata, Port city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
Sakata sits at the mouth of the Mogami River where it meets the Sea of Japan, showing many warehouses and residences from its trading past. The waterfront area preserves wooden structures that once stored rice and goods for sea transport.
The city grew during the Edo period as a key port for rice shipments between northern regions and the major centers to the south. Merchants built storage facilities and homes here that still shape the cityscape today.
The Honma Museum displays Japanese art collections inside a building with views over gardens and Mount Chōkai. The rooms preserve works by local masters and objects from the time when merchant families lived and worked here.
Shonai Airport offers direct flights to Tokyo, while train connections link the city to other regions in Japan. Visitors can explore the warehouse district and old quarters on foot or by bicycle.
The Sankyo Rice Storehouse complex holds twelve wooden buildings from 1893 that keep grain at steady temperatures through traditional construction methods. The thick walls and thoughtful ventilation system still work today without modern technology.
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