Tendo Onsen

Soak in natural hot springs at the heart of Japan's shogi culture, where over 90 percent of the nation's traditional chess pieces are crafted by skilled artisans. Tendo's thermal waters provide relaxation after exploring workshops where craftsmen carve intricate characters into boxwood using techniques passed down for generations. The annual Human Shogi festival transforms the mountainside into a giant game board with costumed players as living pieces, creating one of Yamagata's most unique cultural spectacles.