Yamagata with preschoolers (4–6) 3 spots
Mountains ring Yamagata and the valleys between them are orchards. Cherries ripen in June on branches low enough for a child to reach, and Ginzan Onsen is one short street of wooden inns lit by gas lamps.
An amusement park in Yamagata with Japan's first Hello Kitty Ferris wheel.
Stroller OK · checked Aug ’26
Mogami River Boat Ride (Basholine)
An hour-long boat ride 12 km down the Mogami, through a prefectural natural park.
checked Aug ’26
DOSAIDA?, the multi-level maze, is scattered with climbing-frame obstacles to work through. The Cycle Monorail travels 220 meters (about 720 feet) of track up in the air, and the Angel Coaster runs a course 63.3 meters (about 208 feet) long. Japan's first Hello Kitty Ferris wheel is here too. In summer, Lina Beach opens.A family with a 4-, 5- and 9-year-old (account published 2026) went in around 11:00 and stayed until the 17:00 close, with a light meal inside the park. Most attractions cost 500 to 600 yen a ride, so the unlimited-ride pass works out cheaper once you ride seven times or more; the pass includes admission and costs 4,700 yen for adults and 4,400 yen for children. Some rides are off-limits because of age or height limits, so check the conditions for each ride on the separate page first. Advance tickets are sold online only, for weekends and public holidays, and only through October.
One minute along the approach path from Jizo Sancho Station stands the Zao Jizo statue, where the family can pay their respects. The summit terrace inside the station is free for ropeway riders too. On the Juhyo Kogen side there are Iroha Marsh and Kanshodaira, and the summer chairlift costs 400 yen round trip for children, 200 yen one way.Jizo Sancho Station is also the trailhead for Mt. Jizo, Mt. Kumano and Mt. Katta, so decide before you board how far you intend to walk. The summer chairlift is charged separately. Service is suspended in bad weather, and extra runs are added when it is busy. Alpine flower updates are posted on Facebook and Instagram rather than the official website.
At 4 to 6 a child is still preschool age, so the ride is free — adult fares start at junior high and the child fare starts at primary school. For an hour the boatman steers and sings, taking you 12 km down one of Japan's three great rapids. You may request a particular boatman; just say so.The 40 to 50 steps down to the jetty are walked on their own legs — the count changes with the water level — after about 100 m from the desk. Scheduled boats leave on time and missing one means waiting for the next, so finish check-in 20 minutes before departure if you booked, 10 if you did not. There are three ways back: the local bus (500 yen adult, 250 primary school, paid on board), paying to have your car driven round (3,000 yen for an ordinary car, reservation only, 100% charge for same-day cancellation), or a return boat — but return boats are limited in number, first come first served, and the last sailing at 15:00 has none. The soba-making workshop, 2,200 yen a person, is not currently being taken.