Hiking the Dewa Sanzan

Following the footsteps of pilgrims

Amber Mezbourian Mar 25, 2013 - 1 min read

Haguro-san, representing birth, marks the start of your journey. Follow the path through a shady cedar forest.

There are 2446 steps leading to the shrine complex at the summit - make sure to pace yourself!

Along the way, there are 33 sake cups and flasks carved into the stone slabs. Can you find them all?

A red torii signals that you're nearly at the top - a welcome relief after all those steps!

You may meet some white-clad pilgrims praying at the shrines on Haguro-san.

Now across to Gassan, and another torii marks the start of the hiking trail. Gassan represents the death portion of the pilgrimage, but don't let that put you off - there are some beautiful views along the way.

Stone markers along the way let you know you're on the right track.

A number of small ponds dot the landscape.

Wooden walkways make this section of the trail easy, but in other places you'll have to scramble over rocks.

Pause to admire the view, and to understand how Yamagata got its name ('mountain shaped').

At the summit of Gassan, there's a shrine where a priest will cleanse your soul (for a small fee).

The path from Gassan to Yudono-san leads you through some beautiful scenery.

Make sure that you're going in the right direction, towards Yudono-san (representing rebirth).

On a hot summer's day, there's nothing better than cooling off in a mountain stream.

The final stretch involves scrambling down some steep ladders - not for the faint-hearted! If you have time, you can enter the shrine at the base, the holiest of the Dewa Sanzan, and paddle around a sacred orange rock. Make sure to take off your shoes!

The Dewa Sanzan are the three sacred peaks of Yamagata - Haguro-san, Gassan and Yudono-san. They represent birth, death and rebirth respectively. For centuries, ascetics from the Shugendō Buddhist sect have walked the trails and prayed at the shrines. Nowadays, they're popular with hikers and one of the highlights of a trip to Yamagata.

Amber Mezbourian @amber.mezbourian

I spent three years living in Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher on the JET Programme, not knowing what to expect but with images of Tokyo, geisha and Mount Fuji in my mind. I was placed in Yamagata prefecture in a small rural town that I couldn't find in any guidebook. I learnt to sno...