Rustic Japan -A Guide to Rural Japan & Off-the-Beaten-Path Countryside- 日本語

Tohoku

Staying at a Shukubo on Mt. Haguro

Yamagata Prefecture

Exterior of Daishinbo, a shukubo on Mt. Haguro, with a curved gabled entrance hung with a shimenawa rope
Where
Yamagata Prefecture
When
September 2026, 3 days, 2 nights
Route
Tokyo Station → (JR local trains, 4 transfers, 11 hours 30 minutes) → Tsuruoka Station → 20 minutes by rental car. *For a faster route: Tokyo Station → (JR Shinkansen bullet train, 2 hours) → Niigata Station → (JR Inaho limited express, 2 hours) → Tsuruoka Station → 20 minutes by rental car
Cost
Train tickets, rental car, and lodging: ¥50,000 total

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More than ten years ago, I saw the five-story pagoda on Mt. Haguro in Yamagata Prefecture. It was so beautiful that I wanted to see it again. Last time it stood in snow, so this time I picked a season when the green would really stand out.

I wanted an easygoing trip. So I decided to go by local trains.

At 7 a.m., I board the same train I take to work every day. Today I’m going much, much farther than the office.

Partway there, in Niigata, rice country, I buy a rice ice cream. Its gentle sweetness is delicious.

Wrapper of Koshihikari Monaka, an ice cream bar made with Niigata Koshihikari rice, illustrated with a rice harvest scene

At the border between Niigata and Yamagata, I meet the sunset. The red clouds are beautiful. I don’t usually look at the sky, but maybe it turns this lovely red every single day.

Sunset over the sea near the Niigata–Yamagata border, red sky beneath heavy clouds and a dark island silhouette

I reached Tsuruoka Station, my destination, at 7 p.m. Somewhere along the line, someone had been hit by a train, and we were delayed.

Tonight’s lodging is Daishinbo, in the shukubo (temple/shrine lodging) district on Mt. Haguro. I rented a car at Tsuruoka Station and drove about 20 minutes to get there. Thanks to the delay, I had completely missed the check-in time (6 p.m.), but when I called, knowing full well it was a lot to ask, they kindly let me stay anyway. I was grateful.

Exterior of Daishinbo, a shukubo on Mt. Haguro, with a curved gabled entrance hung with a shimenawa rope

The building is old-fashioned and wooden, but beautifully kept and very comfortable. Just my kind of place.

Hallway inside Daishinbo shukubo, with green carpet, glass doors on one side and sliding paper doors on the other

Dinner was shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine), the kind of meal shukubo are known for. No meat, mostly vegetables. Mountain greens, vegetables dressed in sesame, pickles: everything was delicious. The sesame tofu in particular was superb, smooth yet springy, with a lovely flavor. Apparently it takes a great deal of work to make. Only guests at Daishinbo get to eat it. A little reward from the inn.

Shojin ryori dinner at Daishinbo in red lacquered trays: sesame tofu, simmered fried tofu, dressed greens, pickles

At Daishinbo, a prayer ritual is held every morning from 7 a.m. You recite norito (Shinto prayers) together with the priest (the owner of Daishinbo, I think). I’m not especially devout, but somehow it leaves me feeling clear and refreshed.

Tatami prayer hall at Daishinbo with an altar behind a bamboo blind, shoji screens, and a calligraphy plaque above

Then breakfast. What stayed with me was the oshiruko (sweet red bean soup) with mochi made from horse chestnuts. Apparently they’re called chikara mochi (“strength” rice cakes). Maybe it’s a meal meant for people heading up Mt. Haguro. I’m one of them, so the thoughtfulness made me happy.

With a full stomach, I set off for the five-story pagoda of Mt. Haguro, the reason for this whole trip.

To be continued