JAPN Dewa Sanzan: Three Sacred Mountains of Yamabushi Asceticism
Dewa Sanzan: Three Sacred Mountains of Yamabushi Asceticism
Three Mountains of Rebirth
Dewa Sanzan, the Three Mountains of Dewa in Yamagata Prefecture, form a sacred complex representing birth, death, and rebirth in the Shugendo mountain asceticism tradition. Mount Haguro (414 meters) symbolizes the present, Mount Gassan (1,984 meters) the past and realm of the dead, and Mount Yudono (1,504 meters) the future and rebirth. Yamabushi mountain ascetics have trained on these peaks for 1,400 years, and their practices survive as a living tradition where modern practitioners undertake week-long retreats involving fasting, cold water immersion, and mountain ascents.
Tourists can visit all three mountains between July and October when snow clears the higher peaks. Mount Haguro’s stone staircase of 2,446 steps climbs through cedar forest containing a five-story pagoda built in the 10th century, the oldest structure in Tohoku and a National Treasure. The climb takes about an hour and passes giant cedars 600 years old. The thatched-roof Sanjin Gosaiden hall at the summit, the largest thatched structure in Japan, enshrines the deities of all three mountains.
Gassan and Yudono
Mount Gassan requires a full-day hike from the Eighth Station bus stop at 1,400 meters, climbing through alpine meadows filled with wildflowers including nikko-kisuge daylilies and white cotton-grass. The summit shrine charges 500 yen for purification entry and is staffed by monks during the July through September climbing season. Snow patches remain on the upper slopes into August, and the mountain’s reputation as the realm of the dead gives the foggy, wind-swept summit an appropriately otherworldly atmosphere.
Mount Yudono’s sacred site, accessible by bus and a short walk, centers on a massive reddish-brown rock over which hot spring water continuously flows. Visitors must remove shoes and walk barefoot over the warm wet rock as a purification ritual, and photography is strictly prohibited. The tradition of silence about the experience reflects the esoteric nature of the site. Dainichibo and Churenji temples near Yudono preserve sokushinbutsu, self-mummified monks who starved themselves to death in meditation as an extreme ascetic practice, their desiccated bodies displayed in glass cases.
Experiencing Yamabushi Culture
The Dewa Sanzan Shrine office and several local organizations offer yamabushi experience programs ranging from one-day introductions to the full week-long Akinomine autumn peak retreat. The introductory programs include dressing in the white yamabushi costume, climbing Mount Haguro, participating in fire rituals, and eating the sansai mountain vegetable and mushroom cuisine that sustains ascetics during training. Costs range from 10,000 to 30,000 yen depending on duration.
Accommodation at the foot of Mount Haguro includes shukubo temple lodgings that serve shojin ryori Buddhist cuisine and organize morning prayers. Tsuruoka City, the gateway town, hosts the Shonai Shrine to the Sakata rice-shipping merchant culture and a silk museum reflecting the region’s historical industries. Access from Tokyo requires the Joetsu Shinkansen to Niigata then a transfer to the Uetsu Line to Tsuruoka, totaling about four hours. Alternatively, overnight buses from Tokyo reach Tsuruoka for roughly 7,000 yen.
Accommodation and Food
Accommodation at the foot of Mount Haguro includes shukubo temple lodgings that serve shojin ryori Buddhist vegetarian cuisine featuring wild mountain vegetables, handmade tofu, mushrooms, and pickles prepared without meat, fish, garlic, or onion. The elaborate multi-course meals reflect the mountain’s bounty across seasons. Tsuruoka City, the gateway town 30 minutes from the Haguro trailhead, has been designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy for its food culture based on mountain, river, and sea ingredients. The dadacha-mame edamame, a local variety with a richer flavor and aroma than standard soybeans, is available only in summer and considered one of Japan’s finest regional foods.
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