Blessed with beautiful nature, scenic views and historical buildings, Yamagata has become increasingly popular as a filming location due to its rich and diverse appearance. The Yamagata Film Commission is the best partner for filmmakers looking to shoot in the Yamagata area. It has expanded its services to five neighboring cities and two towns outside Yamagata city to offer better support and meet more comprehensive filmmaking needs. Its services attract film and TV productions to create employment and boost investments in the area through the use of local workforce and businesses. This includes hotel stays, money spent in local restaurants, the rental of vehicles and equipment, and many other services. Local Tohoku University of Art and Design students join shootings as crew members to hone their skills, and over 450 citizens are registered as extras to be available to engage in these projects. The commission has successfully supported more than 800 visiting production teams and receives more than 100 inquiries every year. In 2018 and 2019, it has supported overseas production teams including the one of Thailand’s highly popular drama Dung Duang Haruetai and of Love Talk, a Taiwanese film made in collaboration with Malaysia and Japan. 

There are also additional benefits arising from screening tourism. For example, the city published its “Yamagata Location Map” to boost screen tourism by introducing filming locations in Yamagata and attract creativity-minded tourists by promoting the diversity of the city’s culture. The leaflet is written in Japanese and English to maximize its potential to attract a more widespread range of tourists. The Yamagata Film Commission generates solid incentives for filmmakers and tourists to visit Yamagata, which in return benefits the local economy and tourism industry.

You can access its website and social media from the below buttons. *Please note that the website is in Japanese, so we highly recommend that you use your browser’s translation function.