🐦 Through Samurai Heritage and Historic Canals: An 18km Ptarmigan in Yamagata 🐦
Yamagata City, nestled in a fertile basin bordered by the majestic Ōu Mountains, is a historic destination that flourished as a grand 570,000-koku castle town founded by the samurai lord Mogami Yoshiaki. This 18km GPS art course invites you to sketch a Ptarmigan (Raicho), tracing a scenic and challenging loop around the Yamagata Castle Ruins, located inside Kajo Park, and the bustling central district near Yamagata Station.
The cultural journey begins within the castle’s expansive grounds, passing the Yamagata Prefectural Museum and the Old Saiseikan Hospital Building (Yamagata City Museum), a striking Meiji-era western architectural monument. As you shape the bird’s silhouette, the route leads you into the historic downtown to discover Mizunomachiya Nanokamachi Gotenzeki, a beautifully restored waterfront space utilizing Yamagata’s 400-year-old agricultural canal system. The trail seamlessly weaves past sacred spiritual landmarks like Suwa Shrine and the ancient Mutsukunugi Hachimangu, known for its historic zelkova trees. For a perfect post-run recovery, you can unwind at the nostalgic Kasumiga Hot Spring.
The Ptarmigan is an Ice Age relic and a sacred alpine bird that symbols the snowy grandeur of remote mountains. Etching this high-altitude icon across the flat, historic plains of Yamagata—within sight of the distant Mt. Zao peaks—creates a playful and poetic contrast. This 18km loop offers an invigorating distance for long-distance runners. By the time the digital bird takes flight on your smartphone screen, you will have experienced Yamagata’s samurai past and living traditions with every single step.
RESTAURANTS
DETAIL (EXTERNAL LINK)
A PIONEER IN GPS ART.
1st work was authorized by Guinness World Records as “the Largest GPS Drawing”.
He is the only Japanese person to be featured in a Google documentary as an innovator. He is fascinated by the idea of drawing with GPS and has published more than 2,500 works.
