Yamanashi Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture in the Chubu region of central Honshu, cradled in the Kofu Basin and ringed by mountains, most famously the northern slopes of Mount Fuji and the Fuji Five Lakes. Home to the Yoshida Trail, the most-used of Mount Fuji's four climbing routes, and to Japan's oldest and largest wine region around Katsunuma, Yamanashi pairs alpine and lakeside scenery with a proud viticulture and fruit-growing tradition, plus the jewelry and crystal-carving craftsmanship of its capital, Kofu City.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Yamanashi.
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1
Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine is founded in Fujiyoshida, later becoming the traditional starting point for Fuji-ko pilgrimage ascents
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2
Erin-ji Temple is founded by the monk Musō Soseki, later becoming the Takeda clan's funerary temple
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3
Takeda Nobutora establishes the Tsutsujigasaki residence in Kofu, the future site of Takeda Shrine
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4
Takeda Shingen is born in Kofu, later becoming one of the most powerful daimyo of the Sengoku period
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5
Takeda Shingen dies during a military campaign; he is buried at Erin-ji Temple
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6
The Takeda clan falls after defeat by Oda Nobunaga's forces; Erin-ji is burned and later rebuilt
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7
Kofu Castle is constructed under Toyotomi- and later Tokugawa-era administration, replacing the Takeda residence as the regional seat of power
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8
Commercial winemaking begins in Katsunuma using the indigenous Koshu grape, founding Japan's oldest wine region
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9
Following the Meiji Restoration, Kofu Castle's main structures are dismantled along with most of Japan's feudal castles
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10
Takeda Shrine is founded on the excavated Tsutsujigasaki residence site, enshrining Takeda Shingen as a deity
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11
The first Shingen-ko Festival is held in Kofu, later growing into one of Japan's largest historical re-enactment events
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12
Mount Fuji and associated Yamanashi shrine sites are inscribed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Fujisan, Sacred Place and Source of Artistic Inspiration'
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13
The Shingen Museum opens beside Takeda Shrine, presenting ongoing archaeological excavation of the Takeda residence site
Historical sites
Places where Yamanashi's past comes alive.
Kofu Castle Ruins (Maizuru Castle Park)
The stone-walled ruins of Kofu Castle, built after the fall of the Takeda clan and later dismantled in the Meiji era, now form a hilltop park a short walk from Kofu Station.
Admission: Adult: Free (park and turret) | Child: Free
Takeda Shrine
Built in 1919 on the former site of the Takeda clan's Tsutsujigasaki residence, this Shinto shrine enshrines Takeda Shingen as a deity and remains the emotional center of Kofu's identity.
Admission: Adult: Free shrine grounds; Homotsuden treasure hall approx ¥300 ($1.90) | Child: Reduced treasure hall admission
Erin-ji Temple
Founded in 1330 as the Takeda clan's family temple, Erin-ji holds Takeda Shingen's grave and a Muromachi-period garden attributed to the priest Musō Soseki.
Admission: Adult: ¥500 ($3.10) | Child: ¥300 ($1.90)
Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine
The traditional starting shrine of the Yoshida Trail pilgrimage route up Mount Fuji, founded in 788 and inscribed as part of the Fujisan UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2013.
Admission: Adult: Free | Child: Free
Minobusan Kuonji Temple
Founded by the monk Nichiren in 1281, Kuonji is the head temple of Nichiren Buddhism and a major pilgrimage site reached by a steep stone stairway or the Minobusan Ropeway.
Admission: Adult: Free grounds; Minobusan Ropeway round trip ¥1,800 ($11.30) | Child: Ropeway child fare ¥900 ($5.70)
Fujiyoshida Oshi Pilgrim Lodging Houses
A handful of surviving oshi houses along Fujiyoshida's old pilgrim route once hosted Fuji-ko worshippers before their ascent, their distinctive gated entrances still visible today.
Admission: Adult: Free to view from the street; some preserved houses charge a small entry fee where operating as small museums | Child: Free
Museums
Curated collections that tell Yamanashi's story.
Yamanashi Prefectural Museum
A large prefectural museum on a 65,000-square-meter site covering Yamanashi's natural and human history, from Jomon-era settlement through the Takeda clan and Fuji pilgrimage traditions.
Hours: 9:00am–5:00pm (last entry 4:30pm); closed Tuesdays (next weekday if Tuesday is a holiday) and New Year holidays
Admission: Adult: ¥300 ($1.90) permanent exhibition; special exhibitions priced separately | Child: Free for elementary and junior high school students
Shingen Museum
Opened in 2019 beside Takeda Shrine on the southern part of the former Tsutsujigasaki residence grounds, this museum presents the site's ongoing archaeological excavation and Takeda-era history.
Hours: 9:00am–4:30pm; closed Mondays (next weekday if Monday is a holiday) and New Year holidays
Admission: Adult: ¥300 ($1.90) | Child: Free for elementary and junior high school students
Yamanashi Jewelry Museum
A museum tracing Kofu's centuries-old crystal-carving and gem-cutting craft, the historic root of the city's status as Japan's jewelry-manufacturing capital.
Hours: 10:00am–6:00pm; closed Wednesdays and New Year holidays
Admission: Adult: Free (museum); workshop tours and demonstrations priced separately by participating jewelers | Child: Free
Mt. Fuji World Heritage Centre, Yamanashi
A free lakefront exhibition center in Kawaguchiko explaining Mount Fuji's 2013 UNESCO World Heritage inscription as a sacred site and source of artistic inspiration.
Hours: 9:00am–5:00pm (extended to 6:00pm July–August); closed the second and fourth Tuesday of each month and New Year holidays
Admission: Adult: Free | Child: Free