The average annual rainfall is 1834 mm with September as the wettest month.

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.