Mogamigawa Furusato Comprehensive Park – Cherry Qua Park is a prefectural urban park located along the Mogami River in the southern part of Sagae City, Yamagata Prefecture. Developed around the theme of “Yamagata’s Nature and Cultural Exchange,” the park opened in 2000 as the “Sagae Highway Oasis.”
The spacious grounds feature a center house, flower garden, fruit garden, park golf course, skate park, dog run, and other facilities. Visitors can enjoy walking through nature as well as a wide range of sports and leisure activities, making the park suitable for families, groups, and visitors of all ages.
Fruit trees, including cherry trees, are also cultivated within the park, providing an opportunity to experience Yamagata’s rich agricultural landscape up close. Another highlight is the reconstructed Takaseyama Kofun, an ancient burial mound that introduces visitors to the area’s archaeological heritage.
The Center House is one of the symbolic facilities of Mogamigawa Furusato Comprehensive Park. It serves various purposes, including park management, viewing, exhibitions, training sessions, and rest areas.
The building has a distinctive glass greenhouse-like structure surrounded by greenery. Its design makes effective use of natural light and fresh air, while various parts of the building provide views of the surrounding park.
As a central base for exploring the park, the Center House is a convenient place to begin a visit or take a break during a walk.
The Flower Garden offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy a variety of flowers throughout the year. Different plants come into bloom depending on the season, allowing visitors to experience the changing colors and atmosphere of the park.
The open landscape along the Mogami River provides a pleasant backdrop for the flowers. Visitors can take a leisurely stroll while enjoying the combination of colorful blooms and the spacious riverside scenery.
Because the garden changes with the seasons, returning at different times of year can offer a completely different experience.
The Fruit Garden contains a variety of fruit trees, including cherry trees, one of Yamagata’s most famous agricultural products.
Yamagata is widely known as a major fruit-producing region, and this area of the park allows visitors to experience that agricultural culture in an accessible setting. The appearance of the trees changes throughout the year, from blossoms to developing and ripening fruit.
It is a pleasant place to observe the seasonal cycles of fruit cultivation while taking a walk through the park.
The park features a park golf course that can be enjoyed by people of many ages, from children to older adults. The course is officially recognized by the International Park Golf Association, and equipment is available for rental.
Whether visitors want to enjoy the sport seriously or simply try something new with family and friends, the course provides an accessible outdoor activity in pleasant surroundings.
One of the park’s most distinctive sports facilities is its skate park, described as one of the largest concrete skate parks in the Tohoku region.
The facility can be used for skateboarding, inline skating, and BMX. Schools and competitions are also held regularly, making the park popular with riders of various experience levels.
The dog run is particularly popular with visitors traveling with their dogs. Covering approximately 3,600 square meters, it provides a spacious open area where dogs can run and play freely.
The dog run includes a “Fureai Hiroba” social area where dogs can interact, as well as a small-dog zone and an agility zone.
Dogs can enjoy plenty of exercise while their owners relax in the park’s natural surroundings. As a free dog run, it is also a convenient stop for travelers exploring Yamagata with their pets.
Within the park stands a reconstruction of the Takaseyama Kofun, an ancient burial mound that offers a glimpse into the history of the region.
Takaseyama Kofun is believed to have been a round burial mound dating from the later Kofun period, built in the Takaseyama area of Sagae. The Kofun period was an era of ancient Japanese history characterized by the construction of large burial mounds for members of the ruling elite.
The original burial facility contained a layer of small stones coated with cinnabar, and grave goods including an iron sword were also discovered.
The mound has now been reconstructed within Mogamigawa Furusato Comprehensive Park, providing an opportunity to encounter ancient history in a peaceful natural setting.
Sagae Service Area is located next to the park. Opened in 1999, it is the only service area on the Yamagata Expressway and also features an ETC-only smart interchange.
The smart interchange provides convenient access to Sagae City and surrounding areas, including Asahi Town and Oe Town. Travelers using the expressway can stop here to take a break, explore the park, or shop for Yamagata specialties.
The service area’s farm-direct sales corner offers a wide selection of fruit associated with Yamagata, including cherries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, grapes, La France pears, and apples.
In addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, visitors can find processed foods, local sweets, and other regional products, making the area a convenient place to look for souvenirs.
One representative souvenir is “Sakuranbo Kirara,” a charming sweet made by encasing a whole cherry in clear jelly. Its appearance and flavor make it an appealing souvenir that captures the character of Yamagata.
Another specialty is “Usukawa Dadacha-mame Manju,” a thin-skinned Japanese confection filled with sweet bean paste made with dadacha-mame, a variety of edamame strongly associated with Tsuruoka City.
The service area also sells black garlic made from garlic grown in Sagae. It is produced without additives and allows visitors to enjoy the characteristic flavor and umami of garlic.
Sagae Service Area has a restaurant as well as light meals and refreshments such as smoothies made with local fruit. The facility also offers Yamagata specialties, souvenirs, and processed foods made with local ingredients.
It is therefore useful not only after enjoying the park’s nature and sports facilities, but also as a convenient rest stop during an expressway journey through Yamagata.
Mogamigawa Furusato Comprehensive Park – Cherry Qua Park brings together a wide range of attractions against the beautiful natural backdrop of the Mogami River. Seasonal flowers, fruit trees, sports facilities, archaeological heritage, and leisure areas all come together in one spacious park.
Visitors can stroll among seasonal flowers, play park golf, enjoy skateboarding and BMX, let their dogs run in the dog park, or discover the region’s ancient history at the reconstructed Takaseyama Kofun.
After exploring the park, visitors can also stop at the adjacent Sagae Service Area to purchase Yamagata fruit, regional specialties, and souvenirs. Whether traveling with family, friends, pets, or by car, this versatile destination provides an enjoyable introduction to Sagae’s nature, culture, agriculture, sports, and local lifestyle.