Yamagata Airport — Higashine, Japan

Yamagata Airport (GAJ), located in Higashine in Japan's Yamagata Prefecture, functions as the main air gateway to the Tohoku region's fruit-growing heartland, an area famous for cherries and other orchard crops. Also known locally as Ouu Airport, GAJ mainly handles domestic flights connecting Yamagata to Tokyo and other major Japanese cities, supporting business travel and tourism to nearby hot spring resorts and ski areas in the surrounding mountains. The airport sits inland, away from coastal weather systems, though it experiences heavy snowfall in winter that requires regular runway clearing. As a regional facility, GAJ complements Japan's dense Shinkansen rail network by offering a faster option for travelers heading further afield.