“They lived their lives as if their sights were set on the clouds beyond the hill they were climbing.”
– Akira Kurosawa, from Something Like an Autobiography
Hiking Mt. Haguro (羽黒山) was one thing I knew I had to do no matter the weather. This was the top item on my itinerary for this trip to Japan. My friend had told me about her home prefecture of Yamagata, and it inspired this vacation — a trip full of new experiences in a country I had lived for about five months. And my friends made the experience easier and more enjoyable (some of this trip would not have been possible considering my complete lack of Japanese language skill).
We headed for the trail after lunch and some sightseeing around Tsuruoka and Sakata — the day began with heavy rain as I awoke jet lagged at the ryokan in the outskirts of Tsuruoka. A brief pre-breakfast walk in the rainy neighborhood and a trip to the empty onsen helped my body recover from international travel and prepare for a day of walking.
I was thankful that my friends were there as they rented a car — getting to Haguro-san via public transportation is possible, but not easy (particularly when one has a suitcase). The same could be said for the ryokan that first night. There was also a well-placed public restroom right across the street from the entrance to the trail, a great idea before setting off on a slow hike through the cedar forest and the 2,446 steps that lead to the Dewa Sanzan (出羽三山) temple.
All of us began the walk through the cedar forest — entering through the gate down the steps into the tower trees and the soothing aroma of damp cedar. The trees are mostly between 300 and 500 years old — it reminded me of walking through the redwoods in California, though not as dry. The mist and light fog made the view through those enormous cedars feel more spiritual, which is kind of the point of a pilgrimage. It would have been a more enjoyable walk through the forest in better weather or with more weather-appropriate clothes (I would have then wanted to take a longer time to enjoy the views and scents of the trail.
A short distance from the trail gate, we approached a bridge leading to a shrine beneath a waterfall. It was a beautiful, calming sight. It’s a small clearing in the forest — a meditative space to rest before walking along the rest of the 2,446 steps to the temple.
We spent a while admiring the scenery around the shrine — there was no one else around, so we had it all to ourselves. It was a beautiful introduction to Dewa Sanzan, and I could’ve spent a longer time in that spot if we didn’t have to make it up to the temple and our lodging for the evening. We weren’t sure if it’d begin raining more or if we could make it to the temple before dark, so we continued on.
Farther along with the group, we stopped at the five-story pagoda, which was undergoing restoration, thus extending my streak of visiting historic sites covered by scaffolding. From pictures I saw online, it is an impressive wood pagoda that blends well within the forest.
Next to the scaffolding-shrouded pagoda we looked up at the Grandfather Cedar, which used to have a Grandmother Cedar partner that was lost to a windstorm in 1902. It was surrounded by Shinto decorations. This national monument is estimated to be 1000 years old and is the oldest tree in the region.
After the Grandfather Cedar, we split up for the trip up Mt. Haguro — my friend’s husband and I walked while the rest drove up to the accommodations with our luggage (OK, mostly mine).
As we hiked the stone steps up to the temple, we passed a few small shrines, most of which were uninteresting and only necessitated a brief moment to catch our breath before continuing on. Slightly off the trail is monument to Bashō. We decided to check it out, but it was unimpressive as a monument to a great poet.
Overall, the walk to Dewa Sanzan temple at Mt. Haguro isn’t difficult. All those steps sound like a lot, but they’re mostly small half steps — we took them two at a time. The distance is less than 2 km. This is the easiest of the three mountains that make up Dewa Sanzan, and it’s supposed to be the first stop on a pilgrimage of all three sacred mountains that have drawn visitors since the 6th century.
We reached Saikan, the lodge a few steps from the gate to the temple, at dusk — we had a brief time before it was dark and walked up to the temple before we lost all light. Neither of us could remember if we were meeting everyone at the temple gate or at the temple lodge. The temple was empty, and I tried to take a few pictures in the waning light remaining (not many came out well).
We had good timing as there is no light outside the temple or lodge, and the rainy evening made the way much darker. The rain had also made the path a bit slippery. While we had some light rain on the walk up to Saikan, the heavy rainstorm arrived after dinner — it was loud but steady, making it a more comfortable evening to sleep on the tatami.
Saikan was large — I didn’t know what to expect from a lodge adjacent to a popular temple, but the size was impressive. It was formerly a separate temple for training Yamabushi monks and dates back to the 1600s. Along with the temples and shrines of Dewa Sanzan, it began as a Buddhist temple until the Meji Restoration forced it to convert to Shintoism. They have remained Shinto temples despite religious freedoms after World War II.
Unfortunately, there were bathroom renovations, which meant that the men’s and women’s toilets were now combined (all stalls anyway), and it was on the other side of the building from our rooms. The shared onsen bath was closer and separated by sex. Soaking in the bath for a bit was a great relaxing experience before donning the yukata and sitting for dinner.
I wasn’t sure what to expect for dinner at Saikan, but I was not disappointed. It was a whole fish (not big) and 10 small vegetarian sides, including some melon for dessert. The only thing I didn’t like was the sweet, gelatinous tofu dish that I tried the previous day at the ryokan. Much like the ryokan, everything Saikan served was local (or at least from within Yamagata Prefecture). I could have had beer or sake with the meal for an additional fee, but after a long day plus the jet lag, I opted to drink water and tea.
The downside to staying in an old building that is undergoing renovations is that it can be dark and cold at times. Insects also get into the rooms — I asked for an interior room because a few bugs, including what appeared to be Mothra (biggest and loudest moth I’ve ever encountered), had entered the room.
Early the next morning, we awoke for breakfast that included an egg and six vegetarian sides, including straw mushrooms and pickled vegetables. It was all part of what is called Shojin Ryori ascetic cuisine. The breakfast was excellent, but I kind of wanted to take the dishes with me. While it was an early start to the day, it was nothing like the pre-dawn prayer wake-up call I had at the temple stay in Korea.
After breakfast, we took the long hallway from Saikan to Dewa Sanzan Shrine — the covered hallway protects visitors during the heavy snow of winter, but there is no heat, so it was a cold walk that October morning. At Haguro-san Sanjin Gosaiden, we took part in the morning prayer alongside other tourists who had shown up that morning. The morning prayer is an interesting experience at Mt. Haguro — it involves some drums and chanting that is mesmerizing. Out of respect for the Shinto traditions and general Japanese etiquette, videos and photos were not allowed during the ceremony (you’ll have to see it for yourself).
We walked around the grounds after the morning prayer — the evening rainstorm had cleared the air and the weather was beautiful. We admired the thatched roof of the main shrine, part of which was being replaced — it is the thickest thatched roof in Japan and manages to hold up under the weight of winter snowstorms.
Past Haguro-san Sanjin Gosaiden are smaller shrines that serve specific prayer needs — matchmaking, health, crop yield, etc. The most interesting of the small shrines is the one dedicated to travel. The Taketsunumi Shrine houses the three-legged crow deity Yata-garasu that guided Emperor Kanmu. At this shrine, people leave a variety of footwear and pray for safe travels.
We walked around the grounds a bit, but didn’t take any more trails off into the forest. It was a wonderful calm morning with improved weather over the previous day. There were shops and restrooms at the parking lot on the other side of the temple — there were some interesting snacks and souvenirs to pick up. We took our time departing and enjoyed the views down the winding road back Tsuruoka for my friends to fly back to Tokyo (and one to bike back). I was taken to Sakata, where I could enjoy the rest of my adventures along the Japanese coast.
