Pilgrim's stay on Haguro-san
Make your own pilgrimage to sacred Mount Haguro and stay in Buddhist temple lodgings.
Three mountains each with a shrine at the summit make up the sacred region Dewa Sanzan. This has long been an area of pilgrimage for followers of Shugendo, a folk religion based on mountain worship in a syncretic blend of Buddhism and Shintoism.
Of the three mountains Haguro is the most accessible with a toll road to the summit, however true pilgrims take the 2,446 steps which wind up through a cedar forest to Haguro-san Shrine. The shrine symbolises birth and is the first mountain shrine visited by pilgrims. (The other shrines on Mount Gas and Mount Yudono represent death and rebirth and are usually visited in that order.)
It's possible to overnight on Mount Haguro in a shukubo: special Buddhist lodgings for visiting pilgrims. Rooms are simple Japanese style with futon bedding on tatami mat floors. Breakfast and dinner are included and both are shojin-ryori, strict vegetarian cuisine which is traditional in Buddhism. In the morning guests are welcome to watch the shrine's early morning ceremony.
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Important notice: We are pleased to be able to offer so many amazing experiences in Japan. However, we are sorry that we can only include these as a part of a full Japan holiday package which includes your accommodation and transport alongside the experiences presented in this section of the web site.
Interested in this Experience? It is included in this tour:
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