YAMAGATA--It’s no joke. An ordinance that encourages residents to break out in a happy laugh everyday passed the prefectural assembly here although some members were not amused, citing human ...

Yamagata Prefecture, some 300 kilometers north of Tokyo, is a mountainous region. Around 70% of its land covered by forests and to this day it boasts a long tradition of using that wood in its ...

In the upgraded cars, the seats are a deep forest-green reminiscent of the mountains located at the heart of Yamagata Prefecture, Also, in response to recent usage trends, each car now has ...