Built by Buei Yoshitada in 1535, Kaminoyama-jō sat at the southern frontier of the Mogami clan's holdings. The frequent centerpiece of conflict between the Mogami and Date clans, it later passed to the Toki clan before finally being torn down in 1692. The present concrete replica was built in 1982 and houses an extensive local history museum. The surrounding town - almost an extended suburb of Yamagata - is famous as a hot spring resort.