Yamadera Temple Complex

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and feel the cool air at the top of Yamadera fill your lungs. Now open your eyes and be rewarded.

The Buddhist temples of Yamadera feature a prayer hall, called Godaido, with a viewing deck, built in to the side of the steep Mount Hōju, that in any season offers sweeping majestic views of the surrounding valleys and mountains. Be it fall, spring, summer or winter, the views from Godaido and Risshaku-ji are some of the best in Japan.

Originally founded in 860 by the Tendai sect of Buddhism, Risshaku-ji has become a major attraction for Japanese people in the Tohoku region of Japan. Only one hour from Sendai, the largest city in Toōhoku, via train combined with the beautiful views, it is easy to understand why the Yamadera (literally “mountain temple”) complex is so popular.

The 1,005 stairs of Yamadera start at the base of Mount Hōju. The winding stairway twists through a cedar forest that obstructs the view of the valley from your perch, but the climb does offer numerous places to rest and enjoy the quiet serenity of the mountain and its environs. Locals can be seen praying and leaving money in small hollows in the rocks, and there are several temples, caves, shrines, and breaks in the trees that will all warrant a snapshot or two. 

The temple was famously visited by haiku poet Matsuo Basho during his Narrow Road journey. This is where he wrote one of his best-known verse, which goes: Shizukesa ya / Iwa ni shimi-iru / Semi no koe (“Such stillness / The cries of the cicadas / Sink into the rocks.”)

The real reward of the Yamadera hike waits at the top. Perched like an eagle on the edge of a sheer cliff, you will reach Nokyodo and Kaisando, a pair of buildings offering the most cinematic of views.

It takes a minimum of forty-five minutes to climb to the top but plan to take more time than that to truly enjoy the magnificent landscape—a fantastic photo can be taken at just about every step. Yamadera is rightfully a favorite of Japanese tourists visiting the Tohoku region, so on a busy holiday weekend don’t expect to be alone on your climb up the stairs. However, a crowd will never diminish just how beautiful and amazing this place is.