Geographical location

The location of Kahoku Town is almost in the center of Yamagata Prefecture. You can see the snow-covered Mt. Gassan, the majestic Mt. Asahi, and the Mt. Zao, which is famous for their ice-monster. Surrounded by the “Mogami River”, which is called “the mother river of Yamagata Prefecture”, and the clear stream “Sagae River”, it is a town surrounded by beautiful scenery.
As the main entrance of Yamagata Airport, it is about a 15-minute drive from the Yamagata Shinkansen Sakuranbo Higashine Station and the Yamagata Expressway Sagae IC; it is only about a 7-minute drive from the Higashine Central Expressway IC.

The symbol of the town ~safflower~

An Annual in the Asteraceae family, which origin is from the Middle and Near East.

The safflower cultivation in Yamagata has been started since the end of Muromachi period and was used to dye elegant clothing and to make rouge for aristocracies.

The safflower that grown in Yamagata was called “Mogami Benibana” and was for its high quality. After the Edo Kyoho period (1716-1736), the trading of Mogami Benibana comes to its heyday. Over “400 da” (1 da = about 126 kg) of it shipped out of Kahoku area. In that time, 4 Hyo (240 kg) of rice cost 1 Ryo (150,000 yen), but for the same weight of Mogami Benibana cost 100 Ryo (15,000,000 yen).

Although there was a time that Mogami Benibana trading and saffron dye fall in distressed because of chemical dye and war, it was enacted in 1959 as “the flower of town”. Mogami Benibana, which suits the climate and soil of Yamagata, is resuscitating again.

Specialty of the town

Cold meat soba, cherry, safflower dyeing, hiden beans (green soybeans), slippers, rice, local sake.