Dewa Sanzan, a famous mountain worship venue that symbolizes "life, death, and rebirth" (Yamagata Prefecture)

Dewa Sanzan is the collective name for three mountains in Yamagata Prefecture: Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan, and Mount Yudono, and is famous nationwide as a sacred place for mountain worship and Shugendo.

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What are Dewa Sanzan?

Dewa Sanzan is the collective name for three sacred mountains located in the center of Yamagata Prefecture.

1. Mount Haguro: Symbol of the present world
2. Mount Gassan : Symbol of the afterlife
3. Mount Yudono : Symbol of the afterlife

Since ancient times, it has been considered a sacred place for mountain worship and Shugendo, and a mountain of pilgrimage symbolizing life, death, and rebirth

Characteristics of each mountain

Mount Haguro (altitude 414m)

• The enshrined deities are Ide no Kami and Ukanomita no Mikoto
• It is the most accessible and can be visited all year round
• It is home to the famous cedar-lined stone steps (2,446 steps) and a five-story pagoda (a national treasure)
• a shrine called "Sanjin Gosaiden" where the gods of the three mountains are enshrined together , and it is also possible to complete your worship at all three mountains here as a "proxy visit."

Mt. Gassan (altitude 1,984m)

• The enshrined deity is Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
• The central figure of Dewa Sanzan
• Climbing is generally limited to the summer season (July to September).
• As a symbol of death, it is linked to ancestral worship, and it was once said that "if you climb Mt. Gassan, you will be able to go to paradise."
• Before the Meiji era's separation of Shinto and Buddhism, "Gassan Gongen" and was a syncretism of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto and Amida Nyorai.

Mount Yudono (altitude about 1,500 m)

• The enshrined deities are Oyamazumi-no-Mikoto, Onamuchi-no-Mikoto, and Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto
• The sacred object is a "giant rock" itself, and it is a mysterious place where photography and even talking about it are taboo
• Yudonosan Shrine's main shrine is a sacred place where hot springs gush forth
• A mystical mountain where it is said that "you must not speak, nor hear."
• once considered to be the same as Dainichi Nyorai and known as "Yudono Gongen."

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Representative shrines and temples of Dewa Sanzan

Mount Haguro

Dewa Sanzan Shrine (Sanshingosaiden)

• It is the only shrine that enshrines the gods of the three mountains (Gassan, Haguro, and Yudono) all in one place. It is characterized by its huge thatched roof shrine building at the summit of Mount Haguro

Google Map

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Mt. Gassan

Gassan Shrine Main Shrine

• It is located on the summit of Mt. Gassan at an altitude of 1,984m and enshrines Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
• It is usually only open to the public during the summer (July to September)
• The shrine, built in the midst of harsh nature, is also a symbol of the training required to face death

Google Map

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Mount Yudono

Yudonosan Shrine Main Shrine

• It is like an inner sanctuary. The object of worship is a huge reddish-brown rock. It is a mysterious sacred place where photography and speaking about it are prohibited
• Worship is generally performed barefoot

Google Map

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