Sakata, Japan

The bustling seaport of Sakata sits along the northwest coast of Honshu, Japan’s largest island. Sakata grew prosperous during the 17^th century as the main shipping hub for “Shonai rice,” the high-quality grain grown in the surrounding Shonai Plain. The local Honma clan came to dominate the rice trade here during the Edo Period (1603–1867); you can visit the merchants’ former residence, as well as their lavish holiday villa and landscaped gardens showcased in the Honma Museum of Art complex. Also explore the Sankyo Warehouses, a row of 15 wooden rice storehouses that now contain a historical museum. Head south of the city to the Kamo Aquarium, famous for its jellyfish collection and farm; or make a pilgrimage to Dewa Sanzan (Three Mountains of Dewa), which represent the three phases of reincarnation. Only 1,358-foot-high Mt. Haguro (birth) is accessible year-round; follow the 2,446 stone steps up through old-growth cedar forest to the Sanjingosaiden Shrine, which venerates the gods of all three sacred peaks.