Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [427]
The orthodox approach to the shrine on the summit requires pilgrims to climb 2446 steps, but buses run straight to the top. The climb can be done in a leisurely hour, though you might be lapped by gaggles of sprightly senior citizens.
From the Haguro Centre bus stop, walk straight ahead through the torii, and continue across the bridge. En route you’ll pass Gojū-no-tō, a weather-beaten, five-storey pagoda dating from the 14th century. Then comes a very long slog up the hundreds of stone steps arranged in steep sections. Pause halfway at the tea house (8.30am-5pm Apr-Nov) for refreshment and breathtaking views. If you detour to the right, just past the tea house, you’ll come upon the temple ruins of Betsu-in, visited by Bashō during his pilgrimage here.
The scene at the summit can be a bit anti-climactic if the crowds are thick. However, you can still have a contemplative moment in front of the Gosaiden, a vivid red hall that enshrines the deities of all three mountains.
At the top of Haguro-san, you have a number of options to consider. In summer, there are a couple of morning buses that travel directly from the summit to the 8th station of Gas-san. If you miss these buses, you can walk back down to the village, or spend the night at Saikan (Click here). Alternatively, purists can follow the 20km ridge hike to the peak of Gas-san.
GAS-SAN
Accessible from July to September, Gas-san (1984m) is the highest of the three sacred mountains. Coming from Haguro-san, the peak is usually accessed from the trailhead at Hachigōme (8th station). This route then passes through an alpine plateau to Kyūgōme (9th station) in 1¾ hours, and then grinds uphill for another 1¼ hours. At the summit, pilgrims flock to Gassan-jinja (admission with ritual purification ¥500; 6am-5pm), though not without first being purified: bow your head to receive a priest’s benediction before rubbing your head and shoulders with sacred paper, which is then placed in the fountain.
From the summit, you could retrace your steps to 8th station, though almost everybody will be pressing on with the steep descent to Yudono-san-jinja. This takes another three hours or so, and you’ll have to carefully descend rusty ladders chained to the cliff sides, and pick your way down through a slippery streambed at the end of the trail.
YUDONO-SAN
Accessible from May to October, Yudono-san (1504m) is the spiritual culmination of the Dewa Sanzan trek. Coming from Gas-san, it’s just a short walk from the streambed at the end of the down climb to Yudono-san-jinja (admission ¥500; 6am-5pm, closed Nov-Apr). This sacred shrine is not a building, but rather a large orange rock continuously lapped by water from a hot spring. It has the strictest rituals of the three, with pilgrims required to perform a barefoot circuit of the rock, paddling through the cascading water.
To finish the pilgrimage, it’s a mere 10-minute hike further down the mountain to the trailhead at Yudono-san-sanrōsho, which is marked by a torii, or you can give your feet a break by taking a shuttle bus.
From here, you have a number of options: spend the night at Yudono-san Sanrōjo (Click here), catch a direct bus back to Tsuruoka, catch the bus or walk along the 3km toll road to the Yudono-san Hotel, or take a detour to Dainichibō and Chūren-ji.
DAINICHIBŌ & CHŪREN-JI
Off Rte 112, halfway between Yudono-san and Tsuruoka in the village of Ōami, these two seemingly ordinary country temples house the mummies of priests who have become ‘living Buddhas.’ The ascetic practice of self-mummification, outlawed since the 19th century, involved coming as close to death as possible through starvation, before being buried alive while meditating.
Both temples are located close to the Ōami bus stop, and there are colourful signs to follow. The mummy at Dainichibō (admission ¥500; 8am-5pm) is dressed in bright reddish-orange