Mount Haguro — 羽黒山 (山形県)

Mount Haguro is the only one of the Three Mountains of Dewa where you can worship all year. While its sister peaks — Mount Gassan and Mount Yudono — close under snow from November to May, Haguro remains accessible, its 2,446 stone steps climbing through a forest of centuries-old cryptomeria to a thatched shrine roof so massive it required 200,000 cedar shingles and took two years to replace in 2000. The mountain has been a centre of Shugendō — the syncretic mountain asceticism that blends Shinto and Buddhism — for over 1,400 years, and yamabushi mountain monks still practice here, their conch-shell horns echoing through the cedars at dawn.

Mount Haguro was founded in 593 CE by Prince Hachiko, son of Emperor Sushun, who fled court intrigue and discovered the mountain’s spiritual power. He is said to have encountered a three-legged crow — the divine messenger — which led him to establish worship on the peak. The mountain became one of the three sacred mountains of Dewa Sanzan, each representing a stage of spiritual rebirth: Haguro symbolizes the present world and earthly blessings, Gassan the past and death, and Yudono the future and rebirth. During the Edo period, pilgrimage to all three mountains became so popular that farmers from across northern Japan would save for years to make the journey. The tradition of akinomine — autumn mountain entry — still draws practitioners who undergo ten days of ascetic training, eating only minimal mountain vegetables and performing rituals that have remained unchanged for centuries.

Itsukushima-hime no Mikoto, Tsukiyomi no Mikoto, and Ōnamuchi no Mikoto are enshrined together at the summit shrine. Itsukushima-hime governs the present and material prosperity; Tsukiyomi, the moon deity, represents the past and ancestral spirits; Ōnamuchi oversees the future and regeneration. This trinity reflects the cosmology of Dewa Sanzan, where pilgrims symbolically die and are reborn through visiting all three peaks. The original deities were Buddhist figures before the Meiji separation ordinance, and the architecture still reflects this dual heritage — the shrine is called Sanjin Gōsaiden, meaning “worship hall of the three deities,” using Buddhist architectural terminology.

The mountain’s most distinctive legend concerns the three-legged crow that appeared to Prince Hachiko. According to tradition, he was lost in the mountains when a black bird with three legs descended and guided him to a sacred spring. The crow then transformed into a Shinto priest who taught him the mountain’s mysteries. This crow became the symbol of Mount Haguro and is believed to be an avatar of the sun goddess Amaterasu. Another legend tells of the cedar tree where Prince Hachiko hung his feathered cloak — “haguro” means “wing-black,” referring to the crow’s dark wings. The Gojūnotō, a five-story pagoda built in 937 CE and now a National Treasure, stands at the base of the steps and is said to house sacred relics that protect the entire mountain from disaster. Local belief holds that anyone who climbs the 2,446 steps without counting them will have their prayers answered, but those who count will be distracted from spiritual focus and miss the mountain’s true blessing.

The approach begins at the vermillion Zuishinmon Gate, beyond which lies the Gojūnotō pagoda, standing 29 meters tall amid cryptomeria trees over 500 years old. The climb of 2,446 stone steps takes approximately one hour through what is now a sacred forest, passing the Ninosakajinja shrine and tea houses that have served pilgrims for centuries. At the summit stands the Sanjin Gōsaiden, rebuilt in 1818, whose thatched roof is the largest of its kind in Japan — measuring 28 meters long and using traditional kayabuki construction that requires complete replacement every 40-50 years. The interior houses a bronze mirror 2.2 meters in diameter, the largest in Japan, used in Shugendō rituals. The architectural style is gongen-zukuri, fusing the main hall and worship hall under a single roof. Near the shrine stands a 1,000-year-old cedar called the Jijisugi (Grandfather Cedar), and a bronze bell cast in 1275, designated an Important Cultural Property.

• Hassaku Matsuri (August 31 – September 1) — The most important festival, featuring all-night kagura sacred dance performances and fire rituals conducted by yamabushi monks, culminating in a procession at dawn.
• Shōreisai (December 31) — The year-end fire festival where massive torches called taimatsu are paraded up the steps, their flames believed to purify the old year and welcome the new.
• Akinomine Training (late August – early September) — Ten-day ascetic mountain retreat where participants undergo Shugendō training, wearing white robes and subsisting on minimal food while performing ancient rituals across all three mountains.
• Matsuo Festival (May) — Spring celebration with processions and offerings for agricultural prosperity.

Autumn (late September through October) offers the ideal combination: brilliant autumn colours in the cryptomeria forest, cooler temperatures for the climb, and the possibility of witnessing akinomine practitioners in their white ascetic robes. The contrast between golden and crimson leaves and the dark cedar trunks creates the atmosphere that made this mountain sacred. Winter visits are profound but demanding — snow covers the steps and the shrine’s thatched roof becomes a white dome against grey sky. Summer (July-August) is the traditional pilgrimage season when all three mountains are accessible, but humidity makes the climb taxing. Spring sees fewer crowds but the forest remains dark and dense. For first-time visitors, early morning in autumn provides the clearest views and the chance to climb in solitude before tour groups arrive mid-morning.