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Regular buses from from Tsuruoka (17-19 daily; 40min; Y660) serve the village of HAGURO-MACHI at the beginning of the mountain trail; get off at the Haguro Centre stop, just where the road kinks left to the start of the path up the mountain. Before heading off along the track, Ideha Bunka Kineikan (tel 0235/62-4727, fax 62-4729; daily except Tues 8.30am-5pm; Y400), a little further along the main road, is worth a look if you're interested in the yamabushi . This oddly high-tech museum contains examples of yamabushi clothes and foodstuffs, as well as holograms of various rituals. The Ideha centre also runs three-day yamabushi -taster courses (Y26,000) for would-be yamabushi , in which you get to stand under waterfalls, leap over fires and take part in a pilgrimage - though not for the faint-hearted, these are a breeze compared to the genuine nine-day initiation. A weather-beaten, red-lacquered gate marks the start of the Haguro-san trail (1.7km; roughly 1hr), which consists of three long staircases built by a monk in the early seventeenth century. The first stretch is a deceptively gentle amble beside a river, where pilgrims purify themselves, among stately cedar trees. Most of these cedars are between 300 and 500 years old but the oldest, a massive tree girded by a sacred rope, is reputed to be at least 1400 years old. After passing a magnificent five-storey pagoda, which was last rebuilt in the fourteenth century, it's uphill all the way, past a little teashop (late April to early Nov daily 8.30am-5pm) with superb views, until a large red torii indicates you've made it. If you're staying at the Saikan shukubo , it's on the left at the end of a mossy path just before you duck under the torii . The shrine compound contains a collection of unmistakably Buddhist buildings. At the centre stands a monumental vermilion hall, the Gosaiden , where the mountain's three deities are enshrined behind gilded doors under an immaculate thatch. In front of the hall, the lily-covered Kagami-ike is said to mirror the spirits of the gods. However, it's probably more famous for its treasure trove of more than five hundred antique polished-metal hand mirrors; in the days before women were allowed onto Dewa-san, their male relatives would consign one of their mirrors into the pond. The best of these are now on display in the shrine museum (daily 9am-4/4.30pm; Y200). There's also a useful relief map of Dewa-san here. Follow  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
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the paved road exiting the compound's south side and you'll find the Haguro-sancho bus stop among restaurants and souvenir shops. Buses depart from here for Tsuruoka (6-12 daily; 50min) via Haguro-machi (10min), and also to Gas-san Hachigome ; alternatively, it's a forty-minute walk further south - take the footpath rather than the road - to the Kyuka-mura stop beside Gas-san Visitor Centre, where you can also pick up buses to Gas-san .
Your Tips For Haguro-san
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