Tsuruoka 鶴岡市
—  City  —
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Location of Tsuruoka in Yamagata
Tsuruoka
Coordinates: 38°43′N 139°49′E / 38.717°N 139.817°E / 38.717; 139.817Coordinates: 38°43′N 139°49′E / 38.717°N 139.817°E / 38.717; 139.817
Country	Japan
Region	Tōhoku
Prefecture	Yamagata
Government
- Mayor	Yōichi Tomizuka
Area
- Total	1,311.51 km2 (506.4 sq mi)
Population (May 2008)
- Total	139,148
- Density	106/km2 (274.5/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Japanese Beech
- Flower	Sakura
Phone number	0235-25-2111
Address	9-25, Babachō, Tsuruoka-shi, Yamagata-ken 997-8601
Website	City of Tsuruoka

Tsuruoka (鶴岡市, Tsuruoka-shi^?) is a city located in the Shonai region of Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.

Tsuruoka is the second largest city in Yamagata Prefecture after Yamagata City. After the neighboring towns of Fujishima, Atsumi, Asahi, Kushibiki and Haguro merged into Tsuruoka in October 2005, the city's total area came to 1,311.51 km².

The city is located on the coast of Yamagata Prefecture bordering the Sea of Japan and has some locally popular beaches such as Yunohama and Sanze.

History

The city was founded on October 1, 1924 becoming Japan's 100th city.

Economy

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Demographics

Health

• Tsuruoka Shonai Hospital
• Tsuruoka Kyoritsu Hospital
• Yutagawa Onsen Rehabilitation Medical Center

Education

University

• Yamagata University, Faculty of Agriculture
• Keio University, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (Tsuruoka Town Campus)
• Tohoku University of Community Service and Science (Tsuruoka Campus)
• Tsuruoka National College of Technology

High School

Junior High School

Elementary School

Culture

Food

Tsuruoka is known within Japan for "dadacha-mame" (だだちゃ豆), a brand of soybeans, which have been called "the king of edamame"; they are also used for other products such as nattō and in manjū.

There are two theories as to the origin of the name: one is that it derives from dadacha, the Shonai dialectical word for "father" – gagacha is the dialectical word for "mother", while the other is that the beans came from Date, Fukushima, and were originally called Date-no-chamame, which became Date-chamame and then Dadacha-mame.

Transportation

Airports

• Shōnai Airport

Train stations

• JR East
  • Uetsu Main Line: Nezugaseki - Koiwagawa - Atsumi Onsen - Iragawa - Kobato - Sanze - Uzen-Mizusawa - Uzen-Ōyama - Tsuruoka - Fujishima

Major roads

• Yamagata Expressway: Yudonosan, Shōnai Asahi, Tsuruoka interchanges
• Route 7, Route 112, Route 345

Bus

Tourism

• Yamabushi Training at Ideha Culture Museum (いでは文化記念館, "Ideha Bunka Kinenkan")
• Mt. Haguro
• Five-Story Pagoda
• Zenpo Temple - Where, in 1990, a carp fish with a human-like face was seen in a pond on the temple grounds.
• Chido Museum
• Shōnai Shrine
• Yutagawa Hot Spring
• Yunohama Hot Spring
• Dewa-no-Yuki Shuzō Museum
• Tsuruoka Art Forum
• Dewa Shōnai Kokusai Mura International Forum and the impressive Amazon Folk Museum
• Gassan Asahi Museum
• Tsuruoka Kamo Aquarium
• Spall Swimming Pool

Events

• Saitansai (New Year Ceremony) in Mt. Haguro Shrine - January 1
• Ogisai Kurokawa Noh (Noh Festival) in Kushibiki - February 1 to 2
• Oyama Sake Festival - Middle of February
• Mt. Yudono Ski Festival in Mt. Yudono - From middle to late February
• Tsuruoka Hinamatsuri in Shonai Temple and Chido Museum - March
• Tsuruoka Sakura Festival in Tsuruoka Park - From middle to late April
• Tulip Festival in Ikoi Village Shonai - From late April to Early May
• Amazon Kid Festival in Gassan Asahi Village - May 3 to 5
• Ceremony for Women and Children in Mt. Haguro Shrine - May 5
• Kinensai (Prayer service for a good crop) in Mt. Haguro Shrine - May 8
• International Nordic Walk in Yunohama - Middle of May
• Tenjin Festival (Monster Festival) - May 25
• Oyama Dog Festival - June 5
• Yutagawa Hot Spring Hotaru Matsuri (Firefly Festival) - June 15 to August 10
• Flower Festival in Mt. Haguro - July 15
• Gassan Shrine Festival in Mt. Gassan - July 15
• International Bungee jumping in Gassan Asahi Village - Middle of July
• Edamame Shop Open in Shirayama - Late July to Late August
• Akagawa Fireworks Festival - Middle of August
• Oku no Hosomichi National Haiku Competition at Ideha Bunka Kinenkan - Middle of September
• Experience:Yamabushi Training at Ideha Bunka Kinenkan - Middle of September
• Miss Shonai Contest - Late October
• Shonai Hyakuman-goku Festival - Early November

Media

TV

• NHK Tsuruoka Broadcast Station

Newspaper

• Shonai Nippo

Yamagata Prefecture Cities Higashine | Kaminoyama | Murayama | Nagai | Nan'yō | Obanazawa | Sagae | Sakata | Shinjō | Tendō | Tsuruoka | Yamagata (capital) | Yonezawa Akumi Yuza Higashimurayama Nakayama | Yamanobe Higashiokitama Kawanishi | Takahata Higashitagawa Mikawa | Shōnai Kitamurayama Ōishida Mogami Funagata | Kaneyama | Mamurogawa | Mogami | Ōkura | Sakegawa | Tozawa Nishimurayama Asahi | Kahoku | Nishikawa | Ōe Nishiokitama Iide | Oguni | Shirataka