6 Top-Rated Temple lodgings in Yamagata Prefecture, Tohoku

About Daishobo Daishobo is the name of our pilgrim’s lodge. It is located near the foot of Mt. Haguro, just outside of Tsuruoka city in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. People from around Japan and the world come to stay here when they want to explore the beautiful trails of Dewa Sanzan. The host of Daishobo is Master Fumihiro Hoshino, respectfully referred to as Hoshino-Sendatsu. He is a fourteenth generation ascetic guide and has led countless visitors and pilgrims through Dewa Sanzan. While pilgrim lodges, referred to in Japanese as shukubo, were, in past years, reserved mostly for insiders, contemporary shukubo have opened up to outsiders to in order to fulfill the growing spiritual needs of lay people seeking to rekindle their bond with nature. Daishobo is renowned for providing excellent accommodation and traditional vegetarian meals and also provides religious services including morning worship, Buddhist and Shinto incantations, exorcisms and the distribution of talisman. About Dewa Sanzan Dewa Sanzan is a sacred mountain range in northeastern Japan consisting of Mt. Haguro, Mt. Gassan, and Mt. Yudono. It is renowned for its biodiversity, mystical scenery, and rituals of spiritual rebirth. Traditionally and among select groups today, Dewa Sanzan is a unique hub of animistic Shinto and Buddhist fusion, where different forms of Japanese spirituality blend into one. Recently, Tsuruoka City, which includes the shukubo community of Mt. Haguro, achieved UNESCO designation as a Creative City of Gastronomy for it culinary innovation. Shojin ryori, the vegetarian cuisine served to pilgrims who visit Dewa Sanzan, contributed greatly to this designation. About Yamabushi People who commit to the ascetic practices in Dewa Sanzan are known as yamabushi (山伏), which can be translated as mountain ascetic. Yamabushi empower their spirits by training their bodies on the mountain slopes and through various secret rituals. The core idea of the yamabushi practices is symbolic death and rebirth through ascetic practice. They view the three mountains as representing the past, the present, and the future. By traversing the mountains during their training, they enact a transformation from one life, to a new incarnation and even enlightenment. The spiritual practice of the yamabushi also involves praying in the mountains for world peace and renewed connection between nature and humankind. Every summer, more than two hundred yamabushi partake in this ancient practice. Daishobo has become a hot spot for new yamabushi because Master Hoshino has designed a three-day weekend training course to accommodate the busy schedules of our modern work life. Daishobo has a three-day yamabushi training program held periodically between July to September. Many foreigners have joined our program in the past and we welcome more to join us. It is held for two nights and three days. Participants can experience the symbolic death and rebirth through secret mountain rituals and require nothing more than the physical strength and willpower to climb mountains. Master Hoshino believes in the inherent union of Buddhism and animistic Shinto religions and leads the training with this principle.