"The pilgrimage of death and rebirth: 2,446 steps through ancient cedars to the mountain of the present"
Dewa Shrine and Mt. Haguro
Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
Mount Haguro rises in Yamagata as the gateway to the Three Mountains of Dewa - Japan's most powerful journey of spiritual death and rebirth. For over 1,400 years, pilgrims have climbed its 2,446 stone steps through forests of 600-year-old cedars. Yamabushi still practice here, their conch shells echoing the ancient way.
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Quick Facts
Location
Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
Coordinates
38.7002, 140.0002
Last Updated
Jan 14, 2026
Learn More
Founded in 593 CE by an exiled prince guided by a mystical crow, home to 1,400 years of continuous Shugendo practice.
Origin Story
In 593 CE, the young Prince Hachiko faced tragedy. His father, Emperor Sushun, was assassinated, and the prince was forced to flee for his life. He made his way to the remote Dewa region, where mountains rose wild and holy.
According to tradition, a mystical three-legged crow appeared to guide him through the wilderness. This yatagarasu - the same divine crow that appears throughout Japanese mythology - led the prince to the three peaks that would become sacred. On these mountains, Hachiko subjected himself to rigorous ascetic training.
After years of practice, he experienced a vision: incarnations of Buddha appearing in the form of Shinto deities. This vision integrated the Buddhist and Shinto traditions that would characterize Dewa Sanzan worship. Prince Hachiko spent the remainder of his life in religious pursuits, becoming known as Nojo Taishi and establishing the sacred tradition that continues today.
The three mountains came to represent a complete spiritual cosmology: Mount Haguro (the present), Mount Gassan (the past/death), and Mount Yudono (the future/rebirth). Pilgrimage through all three enacts the cycle of death and rebirth, allowing the pilgrim to return to ordinary life renewed.
Key Figures
Prince Hachiko (Nojo Taishi)
Founder
Shozen Daitoku
Developer of Mount Gassan shrine
Spiritual Lineage
The Dewa Sanzan tradition represents Shugendo at its most developed. Shugendo synthesizes esoteric Buddhism (particularly Shingon and Tendai), Shinto, Taoism, and indigenous mountain worship. The yamabushi lineages of Haguro have transmitted their practices for over 1,400 years, surviving even the Meiji-era ban on Shugendo. Today, the tradition continues with active yamabushi leading training retreats for both Japanese and international participants.
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