[2] Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Yamanashi has been in decline since the year 2000.

The village of Yamanashi was founded on July 1, 1942, by the merger of two hamlets within Higashiyamanashi District.

On March 22, 2005, Yamanashi absorbed the town of Makioka, and the village of Mitomi (both from Higashiyamanashi District).

Yamanashi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 16 members.

The economy of Yamanashi is based primarily on horticulture, with grapes and peaches as the main cash crops.