Climbing Forest Stairway to Mountain Temple | Yamadera, Japan
202658 min
Walking from small town along river up forest stairs to Yamadera Temple, a mountain temple in Yamagata, Japan. There are a thousand steps up the mountain and the Japanese poet Basho is said to have climbed them as he composed his hiku, Yamadera, on July 13, 1689.
閑けさや Shizukesa ya Such stillness
岩にしみいる Iwa ni shimiiru the cicadas' cries
蝉の声 Semi no koe sink into the rocks
The translation rearranges the second and third lines so they make more sense with English grammar. I had hoped to experience the temple in a bit more quiet, but the lower gate does not open until 8 in the morning. There were a few other visitors waiting to enter, and I found myself walking quickly at times or not lingering as long as I might have in some places to avoid the modest crowd. There was also a leaf blower operating on the stairs during the descent so I turned the camera off, until a cat at the bottom convinced me to turn it back on.
Basho stopped in Yamagata on his journey, Oku no Hosomichi, or The Narrow Road to the Deep North. This was a stop on my northbound journey in summer as well, with perhaps a bit less epic grandeur. There is something nice about heading north.
Late June, 2026
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