Geography

On the east side of Yamagata lies the Ou Mountain range with the highlands of Dewa. Asahi and Iida lying side by side in the west. The Mogami River and its valley run from south to north through the whole prefecture connecting Yonezawa, Yamagata City and Shinjo. Except for the Shonai Plain where the Mogami River empties into the Japan Sea, the prefecture is covered by mountains. This has impeded the development of adequate roads and train lines. The main mountains consist of Dewa Sanzan, Mount Zao at the Miyagi border, and Mount Azuma at the Fukushima border. These volcanoes are home to a number of hot springs. Inland winters are cold with heavy snow, and summers are hot.

Industry & Economy

Agriculture and forestry are the mainstays of the prefecture. Because of the lack of evergreens in the mountains income is limited. A high percentage of the available land is used for farming. Fruit production has been increasing as the farmers effectively use the basin land and terraces on the hillsides. Production of cherries and Western pears is the highest in the nation, and grapes, apples and watermelon rank third. Economic power is slowly shifting away from Yonezawa and Tsuruoka which flourished in the past with their weaving industry to Yamagata City and Sakata with their steel and electric industries. The economic future of Sakata looks good because of its excellent seaport, which has helped it since the Edo era.

Cultural Background

As with the rest of Tohoku, people here are conservative and enduring. They also possess deep compassion and a very strong sense of obligation, traits which make for strong faith when a person becomes a Christian. No matter how much the area becomes urbanized, there remains a deep-rooted village culture with its powerful personal relationship base. This creates a strong pressure against the Christian, pressure that is rarely experienced in the larger cities.

Religious Milieu

Japanese Buddhism and Shintoism play an important part in the people's lives. Another great religious force in the prefecture is the mountain religion, centering in Dewa Sanzan (Gassan, Yudonosan and Hagurosan). It is an ancient religion, called Sangaku Shukyo, and is so powerful in certain areas that even the coming of Buddnism could not penetrate it. Generally speaking traditional Buddhism is considered the family religion and controls the community daily life. Folk religion with mediums, spells and curses also is part of the community life.

The Mission

There is a noticeable trend for the younger generation to try to return to or remain in the major cities of Yamagata, such as Yamagata, Yonezawa and Shinjo. As these people seek to establish their meaning for existence, this should provide a fruitful opportunity for sharing the gospel. Also, the popularity of Christian weddings may not be just a fad, but indicate more serious concerns. Obanazawa City (23,000 population) is one of the 8 cities in Japan with no churches. One church in the area is hoping to start a church there by 2000 A.D.