The beginning of the walk.

The beginning of the walk.

Yamadera by Evening

Taking a walk up Yamadera on a warm summer evening

Hannah Warren Sep 07, 2013 - 1 min read

The beginning of the walk.

Steps in all directions.

Tiny, well-dressed gods.

Small temples with a lot of character dot the mountain.

There are dozens of small (and not so small!) sets of steps leading to the summit.

Jet trails across an evening sky.

Rows of little stone markers all up the mountain.

Paths lead to the summit.

Tiny gods with happy faces.

Catching the evening light.

A splash of red among the grey.

Fortunes tied to a fence with a pagoda against the evening sky.

Emas with wishes written on them.

At night, Yamadera is lit up so it can be seen for miles.

In the mountains northeast of Yamagata is the beautiful Yamadera, so named because of the way the temple, which was founded over 1000 years ago, is built into the side of a mountain.

The temple is also known for a visit by the famous poet Basho, who composed a short poem about the peace and stillness of the area.

One warm summer evening I ventured up there to experience the peace and stillness for myself

More info

Find out more about Yamadera Temple.

Hannah Warren

Hannah Warren @hannah.warren

Hannah lives in Sydney and spends most of her time dreaming of being somewhere else. She loves karaoke, hates making plans in advance, and will probably never be able to read a map.