Mt. Gassan and Ōtorii (large gateway to shrine)

Water from melting snow of sacred Mt.Gassan flows into the fields in spring is one of the reasons why Tsuruoka is so abundant in various ingredients. Not just the crops of the plain flourish on the melting snow from the mountains but also an abundance of minerals flow into the sea where fish are nourished on them, that gives a rich flavour to fish caught on the Shonai coastline.