2026-07-09 Wandering in Tendo, Yamagata: A Slow-Paced Journey of Shogi and Hot Springs#

On July 9, we departed from Niigata for Yamagata. Looking at the map, the straight-line distance between the two places is not far, but there is no direct railway connection, perhaps because they are separated by continuous mountain ranges. We had to first take the Shinkansen south to Omiya Station, which is not far from Tokyo, taking about an hour; then transfer to the Yamagata Shinkansen, taking another two hours or so to finally reach Yamagata.

Our transfer time at Omiya Station was originally only five minutes, and coupled with our first train being delayed by two minutes and our unfamiliarity with the station’s layout, we could only watch as our connecting train left. However, traveling is about taking things as they come; we changed to a train an hour later, and approaching 2:00 PM, we finally arrived at our hotel in Yamagata to drop off our luggage.

Missing the train wasn’t a big deal after all. Omiya is a large station with convenient facilities. We took advantage of these extra tens of minutes to buy a simple lunch to enjoy on the train, and I even used the time to buy a pair of shorts to supplement the inadequate clothing I brought.

According to our original plan, this day was supposed to be a buffer day for transit, with no itinerary arranged. But seeing it was still early, we decided to advance tomorrow’s planned trip to “Tendo City” and set off today. Taking the limited express train from Yamagata to Tendo only takes about ten minutes. We caught the 14:44 departure, while the return express train wouldn’t be until 19:19 in the evening.

The biggest feature of Tendo City is “Shogi” (Japanese chess). Shogi is quite similar to Western chess and Chinese Xiangqi, all being board games set against a backdrop of military warfare. But like many other cultural things, the Japanese have elevated it to the realm of a “Way” (Do), treating it with an extremely rigorous and serious attitude. The Tendo City Shogi Museum is located on the first floor of the train station; the exhibits inside are quite rich and interesting, well worth a look.

The exhibits include several Ukiyo-e prints. At first, I couldn’t figure out why Ukiyo-e would be displayed in a Shogi exhibition hall. Later I realized that many of these Ukiyo-e pieces are by unknown authors and not the work of famous masters, yet they most authentically reflect the daily life of commoners in the Edo period.

Take the piece below as an example; the background is a bathhouse. This was not just a place for bathing, but also the “community center” of the time. Commoners would gather at the bathhouse to chat and exchange gossip… and Shogi was an important form of entertainment among them. As shown in the picture below, the painter vividly expressed the excitement of the players using exaggerated brushstrokes.

Besides Shogi, Tendo is also a famous hot spring town. Walking from the train station to the hot spring street is a little over a kilometer. The distance wasn’t far, but because of the hot weather, when we reached a supermarket halfway, I suggested going inside to “cool off” first. The supermarket sold pre-cut watermelon and even had a “rest area” with tables and chairs, so we naturally enjoyed the air conditioning and ate watermelon there!

This stretch of road is also very distinctive; the ground and lampposts both feature Shogi-themed decorations. Other details, like floor tiles painted with the city bird, are also beautiful!

After arriving at the hot spring street, we found a hot spring hotel: “Tendo Ichiraku,” which offers day trip hot spring (higayeri onsen) services. As soon as we entered, I was surprised to see calligraphy by Chua Lam, thinking the fees might be quite expensive. Unexpectedly, the bathing fee was only 1,500 yen per person, and it was an all-inclusive service including amenities like towels. They didn’t charge extra miscellaneous fees like other places, and even provided free drinks.

The standard of the hot springs here is indeed extremely high. After soaking, we rested in the lobby while enjoying our drinks. Although the garden outside the window wasn’t grand, the scenery was pleasant, and paired with soft background music, it made us feel incredibly relaxed. Therefore, we decided to embrace a “slow living” pace, staying in this tranquil space until 6:30 PM before strolling back to the train station.