2026 Naoetsutsumi Park Brook: A Full Day of Fun

This course spends a full day close to home, starring Naoetsutsumi Park Brook at Naoetsutsumi Park (直江堤公園) — the Naoe Stone Embankment (直江石堤) — in Yonezawa City. It is a man-made stream running through the park, with no deep spots, so even small children can safely put their feet in. Use is free, and with a slide, a sandpit and other play equipment nearby you can move back and forth between water and playground. The opening period has not been announced; in past years the water has run during the summer holidays. Please check whether it is running before you set out. Imoni stew and barbecues are also possible on the riverbank, and with a car park and toilets in place it is an easy park for families. This spot is named after the Naoe Stone Embankment, said to have been built by Naoe Kanetsugu to hold back the flooding of the Mogami River (最上川), so the interesting part is touching on Yonezawa's history while you play. In the morning, see the Uesugi family treasures at the Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum (米沢市上杉博物館) at Denkoku-no-Mori, then walk through Uesugi Shrine (上杉神社) and Matsugasaki Park. Enjoy the flavours of Yonezawa at Uesugi Joshien for lunch, then send up the spray at the brook in Naoetsutsumi Park in the afternoon.