I’d never been to Yamagata Prefecture, nor heard of Yamadera. Somehow I managed to spend nearly a decade in Japan without knowing anything about the mountain temple, or the surrounding region. Yamadera isn’t so off the beaten track that it’s unknown (sorry, wanderlust hipsters), but—like most of Tohoku—it remains off most tourist radars. And that’s a shame, as it is one of the most beautiful places in the country.
The temple, which awaits pilgrims at the top of a thousand stone steps, has a lot to offer: a view that cannot be described (or done justice on Instagram), a flame that’s said to have been burning for almost 1200 years, creative inspiration good enough for haiku master Matsuo Basho, an amazing ca
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