Things to Do

Tsuruoka's best sights mix Shonai clan history, Buddhist temples, the coast, and one of Japan's most unusual aquariums.

Guide

Things to Do

01

Kamo Aquarium

Coastal aquarium famous for one of the world's largest jellyfish displays.

Museum
02

Zenpoji Temple

Large Buddhist temple complex near the coast, known for its five-storey pagoda.

Sight
03

Nangakuji Temple

Temple preserving a sokushinbutsu, one of Tsuruoka's self-mummified Buddhist monks.

Sight
04

Chidokan

Preserved Edo-period clan school built for the children of Shonai samurai.

Sight
05

Churenji Temple

Churenji Temple is one of the stranger and more serious temple visits in the Tsuruoka area. It is associated with Kukai, but its best-known …

Sight
06

Dainichibo Temple

Dainichibo Temple is a rural temple in the Dewa Sanzan area, known for unusual religious relics including a priest's remains. English information may be …
07

Honmyoji Temple

Honmyoji Temple is known for the preserved mummy of Togashi Yoshibei, a samurai whose self-mummification was completed in 1683. The temple is a specialist …

Sight
08

Shonai Shrine

Shonai Shrine honors Sakai Tadatsugu and other figures tied to the former Shonai domain. It is a compact historic stop near central Tsuruoka and …