Yamagata

Culture, attractions
and entertainment

Probably the main attraction of Yamagata Prefecture is the natural attraction, namely Dewa Sanzan, that is, “Three Dewa Mountains”. These are three sacred mountains, whose names, Haguro, Gaz, Yudano, mean “birth”, “death” and “rebirth”, respectively. It is recommended to visit them in this order. The best time to visit is from July to September. These mountains are the basis of the local ancient mountain religion of Shugendo, which arose in ancient times. The traditional ascent to Mount Haguro is 2,446 stone steps through a picturesque cedar forest. Along this route, pilgrims will see five legendary pagodas one after another. Even higher there will be a tea house where you can relax, have a snack and buy souvenirs. And very close to the top there is a “shukubo”, a night temple dwelling, where you can spend the night in a room on a tatami and the next day in the style of classical Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. By the way, the thatched roof of the main building of this temple is the thickest in Japan, its thickness reaches two meters! Mount Gaza is the highest of the three sacred mountains of Deva. Her sanctuary is located at an altitude of 1984 meters above sea level. It is recommended to get to the 8th station and from there climb on foot; the length of this route is five kilometers. At the top of the mountain you can rest and then make the trek to the third peak, Yudano, enjoying the picturesque mountain scenery. This will be the final stage of the ascent of all three mountains and the end of the symbolic journey through birth, death and rebirth. And in the south of the prefecture is the Yamadera Temple, which literally means “mountain temple.” It was founded back in 860 by monks of the Tendai school of Buddhism. The great Japanese poet Matsuo Basho also visited here, and after this visit he left a heartfelt haiku about the divine silence of the temple’s inner chambers. Finally, for those who prefer a more worldly holiday, there is a direct route to the famous ski resort of Zao. It is famous not only for its hot springs and ski slopes, but also for its so-called “monster trees”. Due to the peculiarities of the local climate in winter - heavy snowfalls and freezing winds - the trees on the local hills are covered with snow and present a fantastic sight, especially since many of them are illuminated! The most convenient way to travel from Tokyo to Yamagata Prefecture is by plane. From the capital's Haneda Airport, the flight to the local airport, Sonai, takes about an hour.