Visited Haguro-san of the Dewa Sanzan

I got a chance to visit Haguro-san, one of the three sacred peaks of the Dewa Sanzan. Dewa Sanzan is the collective name for the sacred tree mountains in Yamagata Prefecture; Haguro-san, Gassan, and Yudono-san.

The Dewa Sanzan has been a training ground for followers of Haguro Shugendo, an ancient Japanese religion. It preserves its sacredness with wild mountains and special local cuisines, and rituals and festivals continue today. Visiting three mountains is said to be "a journey to reincarnate." I desperately wanted to visit all three of them at once. Unfortunately, I could only visit Haguro-san this time.

Before visiting Haguro-san, I stayed a night at Shukubo, a pilgrim lodge. It is said the proper way to visit the Dewa Sanzan is to have Shojin Ryori, traditional Buddhist cuisine. By having Shojin Ryori and staying at a shukubo, you purify yourself before entering the sacred area.

Mt. Haguro is the easiest mountain to visit among the Dewa Sanzan. After walking up approximately 2,400 steps, there is a Dewa Sanzan Shrine, which is the collective shrine of the three gods of the Dewa Sanzan.

There was a tea shop on the way to the top. I enjoyed a delicious cup of tea and mochi with a beautiful view.

I took another route when I went down. The route goes through a site called "Minamiya," which is the ruins of an inn where the famous poet Matsuo Basho stayed when he visited Haguro-san. It was more foresty than the route with steps, and I enjoyed it very much.

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