A Stunning Power Spot: "Ura-yamadera"
“Yamadera” in Yamagata City has become a popular destination for many foreign tourists. Formally known as “Hojusan Risshakuji,” this place was founded around 1,200 years ago as a site of mountain worship, and is also famous for being visited by the haiku poet Matsuo Basho.
Yamadera’s charm lies in its spiritual and cultural significance as a religious site, its historical architecture, and the breathtaking view from the “Godaido,” which can be reached by climbing 1,015 stone steps.
Matsuo Basho embarked on a journey through the Tohoku region, where Yamagata City is located, visiting various historical sites. He compiled his experiences into “Oku no Hosomichi,” a classic of Japanese travel literature. The famous haiku:
“Such stillness
The cries of the cicadas
Sinks into the rocks”
(Translated by Donald Keene)
was composed in 1698 during his visit to “Hojusan Risshakuji” at Yamadera. After Basho’s death, his disciples identified the rock mentioned in the haiku and placed a tanzaku (a strip of paper with the haiku) at the spot. This is now known as “Semizuka,” which was erected in 1751 and still remains halfway up the Yamadera slopes.
However, beyond these well-known aspects lies an area now gaining more attention.
Did you know there is an area called “Urayamadera”? ¡°Ura¡± means the other side, or the hidden side. Located northeast of “Hojusan Risshakuji” in a place known as “Mine-no-Ura,” it is said to be where Jikaku Daishi, a priest of virtue who practiced at renowned temple, envisioned “Hojusan Risshakuji” and practiced ascetic training. Among the various spots within this area, the most mystical and stunning power spot is the “Tarumizu Ruins.”
This spot is surrounded by rocks with countless beehive-like holes, creating a truly mysterious and divine atmosphere, a place where one can feel the presence of the divine. While the beehive-like holes in the rocks can be explained geologically, these rocks, called “tuff,” were formed from volcanic deposits that solidified over time, and the holes were created through a process known as “tafoni weathering.” It is said that it took thousands to tens of thousands of years for the holes, each about one meter in size, to form, making it an otherworldly landscape shaped over an incredibly long period. I hope you can simply open yourself to the inspiration this place offers, feel the mysteries of nature, and sense the divine presence, just as Jikaku Daishi did 1,200 years ago.
If Jikaku Daishi had not first encountered this place, Yamadera might not have come into existence. That encounter may have been a manifestation of divine power.
Many ascetic monks continued to visit “Mine-no-Ura” and the “Tarumizu Ruins” afterward, with their presence lasting until about 100 years ago. Although monks no longer visit the site today, the scenery and its overwhelming power have remained unchanged for over 1,200 years.
Please visit “Mine-no-Ura” and the “Tarumizu Ruins” and experience the inspiration that Jikaku Daishi and the later monks might have felt 1,200 years ago. However, be aware that the area is closed during winter.
For more information, contact the Yamadera Tourism Association.