Dewa Sanzan
出羽三山38°42′ N 139°59′ EPilgrimageOpened in 593, by the shrine's account
Dewa Sanzan suits travellers who want to walk an old pilgrimage across three sacred mountains near Tsuruoka; only Haguro-san opens all year, so the full round of Gassan and Yudono-san belongs to summer.
Photo さかおり · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Visiting with care · Partly open
For summer 2026 the shrine pointed visitors to the Dewa sightseeing shuttle from Tsuruoka Station to Haguro-san and Yudono-san, and to the Gassan Liner from Tsuruoka to Gassan.
- Gassan Shrine's summit hall opens only from 1 July to 15 September, and the Mitahara shrine at the eighth station from 1 July to 23 September.
- Yudono-san Shrine opens from 1 June to 3 November.
- In winter the deities of all three mountains are worshipped together at the Sanjin Gosaiden on Haguro-san's summit.
- The Haguro-san toll road is open all year, but it isn't cleared of snow early in the morning or at night, so drive it only during gate hours.
- Photographers of the akashobin kingfisher at Kagami-ike must stay in the marked area south-west of the pond, 8:30–17:00.
- Dewa Sanzan is a living place of worship, and Haguro yamabushi still train on these mountains each year. Bow at the gates and keep your voice down on the approaches.
- Don't photograph worshippers or yamabushi, and keep to every opening and closing date the shrine sets for Gassan and Yudono-san.
Related places
Dewa Sanzan is the name for three mountains of Yamagata: Haguro-san at 414 metres, Gassan at 1,984 metres and Yudono-san at 1,500 metres. By the shrine's account Prince Hachiko, son of Emperor Sushun, came here in 593, followed a three-legged crow up Haguro-san and founded the first shrine. Over centuries the mountains became a centre of Shugendo mountain asceticism, and until 1868 Buddhist and Shinto worship ran together here. Haguro's yamabushi practice continues today.
Pilgrims read the three mountains as a passage through life. In the shrine's telling, Haguro-san brings blessings in this life and Gassan holds the experience of death. Yudono-san returns the pilgrim to a new life. Gassan Shrine honours the moon deity Tsukuyomi. Yudono-san Shrine honours three deities including Oyamatsumi, and Dewa Shrine on Haguro-san honours the spirit of the old Dewa province.
Because Gassan and Yudono-san lie under snow most of the year, the Sanjin Gosaiden on Haguro-san's summit enshrines all three mountains' deities together. That makes Haguro-san the year-round entrance. Gassan Shrine's summit hall opens only from 1 July to 15 September and Yudono-san from 1 June to 3 November. Gassan's ski area runs on the mountain's snowfields from April into June.
2026 is a Year of the Horse, Haguro-san's own sacred year, and the shrine has drawn bigger crowds than usual. In spring and summer the rare akashobin kingfisher nests by the Kagami-ike pond at the summit. The shrine now confines bird photographers to a marked area there, because rows of long lenses had blocked the main hall.
Worth knowing
- Start at Haguro-san, which opens all year, and add Gassan and Yudono-san between July and mid-September when all three are open.
- Take the Shonai Kotsu bus from Tsuruoka Station to Gassan's eighth station, about 90 minutes, for the Haguro side of the Gassan climb.
Quick answers about Dewa Sanzanよくある質問
When can you visit all three Dewa Sanzan mountains?
Between 1 July and 15 September, when Gassan Shrine's summit hall is open. Yudono-san opens from 1 June to 3 November, and Haguro-san opens all year.
Which shrine can I visit at Dewa Sanzan in winter?
The Sanjin Gosaiden on Haguro-san's summit, which enshrines the deities of all three mountains together through the winter.
What are the opening hours of Dewa Sanzan?
Dewa Sanzan is open the shrine office on Haguro-san takes enquiries 8:30–17:00, and prayer services run on the hour from 9:00 to 16:00. Gassan Shrine's summit hall opens from 1 July to 15 September and Gassan Mitahara Shrine at the eighth station from 1 July to 23 September. Yudono-san Shrine opens from 1 June to 3 November, closed gassan and Yudono-san close in winter; Haguro-san stays open all year.
How should you behave at Dewa Sanzan?
At Dewa Sanzan: Dewa Sanzan is a living place of worship, and Haguro yamabushi still train on these mountains each year. Bow at the gates and keep your voice down on the approaches. Don't photograph worshippers or yamabushi, and keep to every opening and closing date the shrine sets for Gassan and Yudono-san.
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