Article

06361 ／かねやままち

Yamagata Prefecture 最上郡

Kaneyama Town

Making a townscape over 100 years.

100-Year Townscape Movement

Photo by 掬茶 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

01 ／ Irrigation canal

A canal of rough-split stone,where nishikigoi swim.

A canal opened in the Tensho era, around 1580. Its full length of 2,564 m was rebuilt between 1977 and 1983, and the channel itself was made of rough-split stone, not concrete. Nishikigoi have been released since 1973, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries calls it the symbol of the town's landscape policy.

2,564 m long, rebuilt 1977 to 1983
Channel made of rough-split stone
Nishikigoi released since 1973

02 ／ Earthen storehouses

Two donated Meiji-era storehouses,set in order around a square.

The Maruko no Kura streetside exchange facility was developed by the town in fiscal 2010 to 2012 as the symbol of its 100-year townscape movement. It consists of a square and two Meiji-era earthen storehouses donated by the Nishida family. The town writes that they conveyed the family's history and the skill of Kaneyama carpenters.

Two Meiji-era storehouses, donated by the Nishida family
Developed in fiscal 2010 to 2012

03 ／ Dance

A dance of Mt. Kamuro's mountain priestsis said to have merged with one from Yajima.

This is a bangaku dance handed down in Ariya. The town's materials say it merged a dance performed in the village by Mt. Kamuro's mountain priests with one brought from Yajima in Akita Prefecture, and is said to have a 600-year tradition. Its repertoire is said to be 13 pieces, seven front and six back, and a preservation society was formed in 1964.

Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property, 2002
Said to have 13 pieces, seven front and six back
Preservation society formed in 1964

Kaneyama Town from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot September–November 2013)Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

Thirty-two minutes by bus from Shinjo Station.

about 5,000 people
Rural district town

There is no railway station in the town. The town guides visitors to take a Yamagata Kotsu bus bound for Kaneyama from Shinjo Station. In the timetable, the fastest bus that runs on weekdays and on weekends and holidays takes 32 minutes from Shinjo Station to Kaneyama Town Office. Of the area of 161.67 km², forest covers 65.5 percent, and the northeast is mountainous country of the Kamuro range.

People living here: 5,071people
Area: 161.67km²
Households: 1,572households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 3 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —1 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Kaneyama Town in Japan38.883°N 140.339°E

to ShinjoLocal bus32min

Travel times follow 山交バス（山形交通）公式『新庄～金山』（https://www.yamakobus.jp/busroute6/jk/ 県立病院→金山。逆向きは https://www.yamagatakotsu.jp/busroute6/jc/ 金山→県立病院）。新庄駅前発→金山町役場前着は、平日 7:10→7:42・7:40→8:12・9:10→9:42・11:10→11:42・13:20→13:52・14:20→14:52・15:20→15:52・16:20→16:52・17:20→17:52・18:20→18:52・19:20→19:50、土日祝日 7:10→7:42・9:10→9:42・11:10→11:42・13:20→13:52・16:20→16:52。平日と土日祝の両方にある5本（7:10・9:10・11:10・13:20・16:20発）はすべて32分。19:20発（最上公園経由）だけ30分だが平日だけなので採らない。逆向きの金山町役場前発→新庄駅前着も、平日土日祝とも走る 8:02→8:34・10:02→10:34・12:02→12:34・14:12→14:44・17:12→17:44 の5本がすべて32分（平日だけの 7:02→7:31 は29分）。 (checked 2026-10-28). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 3 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Territory of Kaneyama Town

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.

North to south

13.5km

Yamagata Prefecture: Mamurogawa Town, Shinjo City
Akita Prefecture: Yuzawa City

Kaneyama Town isthis kind of town.

01Kaneyama Town is spreading houses with white walls, gabled roofs and cedar lap siding (the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism calls them Kaneyama-type houses, the town Kaneyama houses) as it shapes a townscape over 100 years in its 100-Year Townscape Movement
02The Kaneyama canal, an irrigation canal opened in the Tensho era, had rough-split stone used for its channel in the rebuilding of 1977 to 1983, and is listed among the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' 100 Selected Irrigation Canals
03Maruko no Kura is a facility the town developed from two Meiji-era storehouses donated by the Nishida family, and the bangaku dance handed down in Ariya is a prefecture-designated intangible folk cultural property

See the town as it is now.

X@kaneyama100 ↗

Source: Wikidata (P2002, P2003, P2013, P2397)

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Kaneyama Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes