Haguro-san
羽黒山38°42′ N 139°58′ EShrine
Haguro-san suits walkers near Tsuruoka who want a cedar-lined stone stairway past an old pagoda to a mountaintop shrine; the climb takes up to 90 minutes each way and the steps turn slick in rain and snow.
Photo さかおり · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Visiting with care · Open to visitors
From the Zuishinmon gate the pagoda is about 10 to 15 minutes' walk down the stone path, and the summit about an hour to an hour and a half up the steps.
- The stone steps get slippery in rain and snow. Skip revealing clothes and high heels on the climb, which the shrine asks of visitors.
- The toll road to the summit is open all year but isn't ploughed early in the morning or at night; drive it during gate hours.
- Haguro-san is the first of the three sacred mountains of Dewa Sanzan and a training ground for yamabushi, so walk the steps quietly and bow at the gates.
- Don't photograph worshippers or yamabushi, and keep bird cameras within the marked area at Kagami-ike.
The name
羽黒
羽黒Black wings
japanese
The shrine tells that a three-legged crow with wings two and a half metres across guided Prince Hachiko to the mountain, and that the mountain took its name, black wings, from that crow. The shrine presents this as a founding legend.
Related places
Haguro-san is the gateway to Dewa Sanzan and the only one of the three mountains open all year. Pilgrims pass through the Zuishinmon gate at the foot and follow the stone path into the forest. The five-storied pagoda is a National Treasure and stands in the forest about 10 to 15 minutes from the gate.
From the pagoda the steps climb on to the summit in about an hour to an hour and a half, with some steep stretches. At the top the Sanjin Gosaiden enshrines the deities of Haguro-san, Gassan and Yudono-san together. Prayer services start on the hour from 9:00 to 16:00.
The shrine runs the Saikan pilgrim lodge on the mountain for meals and overnight stays, and the Dewa Sanzan History Museum sits near the summit. In winter the steps carry snow, so wear boots with grip or drive up the toll road during gate hours.
Worth knowing
- Take the Shonai Kotsu bus from Tsuruoka and get off at Zuishinmon for the steps and the pagoda. It's about 50 minutes to the summit stop.
- Climb up and ride the bus down if your knees prefer it.
Quick answers about Haguro-sanよくある質問
How long does it take to climb Haguro-san's stone steps?
About an hour to an hour and a half from the Zuishinmon gate to the summit, according to the shrine.
How do I get to Haguro-san from Tsuruoka?
Take the Shonai Kotsu bus bound for the Haguro summit, about 50 minutes. Get off at Zuishinmon to walk the steps past the five-storied pagoda.
Can you visit Haguro-san?
Open to visitors. The stone steps get slippery in rain and snow. Skip revealing clothes and high heels on the climb, which the shrine asks of visitors. The toll road to the summit is open all year but isn't ploughed early in the morning or at night; drive it during gate hours.
What are the opening hours of Haguro-san?
Haguro-san is open the paths are open at all hours. The shrine office answers enquiries 8:30–17:00, and prayer services start on the hour from 9:00 to 16:00, with the desk open 8:40–15:50.
How should you behave at Haguro-san?
At Haguro-san: Haguro-san is the first of the three sacred mountains of Dewa Sanzan and a training ground for yamabushi, so walk the steps quietly and bow at the gates. Don't photograph worshippers or yamabushi, and keep bird cameras within the marked area at Kagami-ike.
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