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Cliff at Ryushakuji

Yamadera (山寺) is a small town in Yamagata prefecture, Japan.

[edit] Understand

Yamadera, literally "Mountain Temple", is a one-horse town named after its distinguishing feature, the temple of Ryūshaku-ji (立石寺) - also pronounced Risshakuji. Matsuo Basho stopped by here on the Narrow Road to the Deep North and penned the following famed haiku poem:

静けさや岩にしみ入る蝉の声

shizukesa ya iwa ni shimiiru semi no koe

Silence, and penetrating into the rocks — the cry of the cicada

— Matsuo Bashō

The meaning of this will be instantly apparent should you visit the temple (or, for that matter, most anywhere in Japan) during the late summer、 when the cicadas' shrilling does sometimes get intense enough to sound like it is drilling through rock!

[edit] Get in

Yamadera is 20 minutes from Yamagata on the JR Senzan line, which connects all the way to Sendai.

There are two options to reach Yamadera from Tokyo. One way is to take the Yamagata Shinkansen to Yamagata and take the Senzan Line from there; this will cost you ¥11000 and take 3 1/2 to 4 hours. The other way is to take a Tohoku Shinkansen train to Sendai and change to the Senzan Line; this costs ¥11230 and will take between 3 and 4 1/2 hours. The length of travel is dependent on connection times between the Senzan Line and the respective Shinkansen line that you choose.

[edit] Get around

The entrance to the temple is 10 minutes from the station on foot, across a bridge over the Tachiyagawa river painted the traditional bright red. There's still a lot of climbing left to do to get around the temple complex itself though! The climb up steep stone stairs through the deep forest to the top-most view point is about 30-60 minutes from the bottom, depending on how fast you want to take it and how often you stop to rest or take in the scenic views.

[edit][add listing] See

• Ryūshaku-ji Temple (立石寺), also Risshakuji. Founded in 860 AD by the priest Ennin, the sacred flame inside is tended everyday and has been burning for those thousand years. The name of the temple means "Standing Stones Temple" for the fantastically wind and water sculpted stones on the mountainside and all along the way up. It's a steep 1110 steps from the entrance to the complex all the way to the Oku-no-in sanctuary at the top, but the view of the mountains and countryside spread out before you, especially from the Godaigo viewing platform, seems little changed over the centuries, and is worth the effort. There are also a number of important cultural treasures - Buddhist sculptures, mandalas and such - held and displayed by the temple, whose priests have strongly resisted the bid to become nationally designated as such, preferring to tend the temples, sculptures and other treasures as they always have, without the bureaucratic regulation official designation entails. Entrance ¥300.

• Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum　(芭蕉記念館), [1]. Across the steep valley the temple overlooks, and up a short walk to the opposite hilltop is the lovely park of Fuga-no-Kuni, where you will find this museum featuring exhibitions of Basho's poetry scrolls etc . Information / guide is available in English - which you don't find at very many museums in Japan! ¥400.

[edit][add listing] Do

Take your time walking around the lovely Fuga-no-Kuni grounds. The gardens change daily with the seasons, and there are plenty of benches in both sunny and shady spots to relax and take in the views.

If you still have energy left for walking, there is another hike up behind Fuga-no-Kuni to "Ice Hill" and the path from the parking lot there is pretty easy to find and follow.

[edit][add listing] Buy

Because Yamadera is essentially a working temple, you will run into vendors selling religious goods since many of those climbing here are on a religious pilgrimage. Buddhist prayer beads, luck charms, the delicate hand-painted candles which are a specialty of the region and the like are sold at several points during the climb to the top. You'll see vending machines as well for drinks and snacks.

The omiyage souvenir shop at Fuga-no-Kuni on the Basho Memorial Museum side is no more expensive than others, but sells an exceptionally well chosen assortment of Yamagata crafts from naturally dyed silks to wooden toys, to iron and pottery pieces, most of which they source directly from the local craftspeople who make them. It is worth taking a look even if you are not planning to buy, just to get an idea of what is available in the best local craft items.

[edit][add listing] Eat

All around the mountain you will encounter people selling the ubiquitous tama-kon. These balls of konnyaku (a firmly chewy gelatin like substance made from ground konjak 'devil's tongue' roots) are cooked in soy sauce and served on a stick. Cheap and guilt free (no calories, no fat!) tourists can frequently be seen munching these simple delicacies, which are touted to give you the stamina to make it to the top. Beware of the mustard: it is considerably hotter than western varieties.

Yamagata is known as soba (buckwheat noodles) country and the area around Yamadera is no exception. The street connecting the temple and JR train station are lined with family owned soba shops that serve freshly-made soba, whose taste and springy texture cannot be compared to the pale, limp soba served in quick noodle shops in the big cities outside of Yamagata. If you can get your noodles with a side of sansai local mountain wild vegetables don't pass up the chance for these seasonal delicacies.

[edit][add listing] Drink

After climbing up the other side of the river valley to the Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum you can get your strength back with a jolt of caffeine from the foamy whipped matcha green tea served in a peaceful and beautiful tea room - without having to sit through the formality of a tea ceremony. Served by women in informal style kimono, the big bowl of tea you pick up and drink with both hands (like a French cafe au lait bowl) comes with a sugary traditional tea sweet chosen for the season. If you get a ticket for tea along with your entrance ticket to the Museum you'll get a ¥50 discount; otherwise it is ¥500. Service ends at 3:30 - just about the time you might really be ready for matcha's truly restorative powers, so make sure you get there in time.

Splash some water down the unusual "Water harp" echoing cistern outside the tea room before you go in or after. If you don't notice it right away, ask the tea servers to show you.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

The Yamadera Pension near the station is happy to serve foreign guests, but like all Japanese inns, let them know early rather than late in the day if you want to stay, so they have time to shop for and prepare your dinner.

[edit] Get out

• If this only served to whet your appetite for mountains, the holy trio of Dewa Sanzan can be reached via Yamagata.