Mount Haguro Five-Story Pagoda

The Five-Story Pagoda of Mount Haguro is one of the most striking sights in northern Japan: a slender, unpainted wooden tower rising from the floor of a primeval cedar forest, its dark timbers streaked by centuries of weather. It stands near the base of Mount Haguro, the most accessible of the three sacred peaks known collectively as the Dewa Sanzan, which have drawn Shugendo mountain ascetics and pilgrims for well over a thousand years.

The present pagoda is believed to have been rebuilt around 1372 under the local lord Daihoji Masauji, though the original is traditionally attributed to the tenth-century general Taira no Masakado. Remarkably, it survived the anti-Buddhist upheavals of the Meiji era, when many such structures across Japan were destroyed as Shinto and Buddhism were forcibly separated. About twenty-nine meters tall and built entirely without paint or nails in the traditional joinery style, it is designated a National Treasure and is considered one of the finest pagodas in the Tohoku region.

Reaching it is part of the experience. From the Zuishinmon gate at the base, a stone-paved path descends through the forest, crosses the Haraigawa River by a small red bridge near the Suga Shrine and a waterfall, and then arrives at the pagoda standing in a clearing surrounded by cedars said to be several hundred years old. From here the famous pilgrimage route continues upward: 2,446 stone steps climbing through three tiers of forest to the summit, where the Sanjin Gosaiden shrine, with its massive thatched roof, enshrines the deities of all three Dewa Sanzan mountains under one roof. The full ascent takes most walkers around an hour, and a small teahouse partway up rewards climbers with a rest and a valley view.

The pagoda area itself is free to enter and open around the clock as an outdoor site, though the path is best walked in daylight and good footwear is essential, as the old stones can be slick after rain. The setting feels genuinely timeless, and it is easy to understand why the towering cedar avenue has been designated a Special Natural Monument. In recent years the pagoda has occasionally been opened for special interior viewing, but its exterior in its forest clearing is the enduring image.

Summer offers deep green shade and cool forest air, while autumn brings brilliant foliage against the dark wood, arguably the most beautiful time to visit. Winter blankets the steps in heavy snow and can make the trail difficult, so morning visits in the warmer months are ideal for both light and atmosphere.

Getting there requires a short journey. From Tsuruoka Station on the JR Uetsu Main Line, take a Shonai Kotsu bus bound for Haguro-san and ride roughly forty minutes to the Zuishinmon (Haguro Center) stop; from there the pagoda is a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk down the forest path. The bus is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass and generally requires cash, so carry coins or small notes. Those short on time can take the bus to the summit and walk down to the pagoda, but the walk up from Zuishinmon is by far the more rewarding way to arrive.