Bunshokan is Yamagata's handsome old prefectural office, built in the Taisho period with a confident Western style. The restored rooms, clock tower, plasterwork, and assembly hall make it one of the easiest central sights to enjoy without much planning.
It is free to enter and close enough to the castle area to pair with Kajo Park. The building also shows how quickly provincial Japan adopted official Western architecture without losing its local scale.