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Mt. Haguro (羽黒山)& Yama no Hi (山の日)

10/08/2024 Leave a comment



Hagurosan 羽黒山 Yamagata prefecture Tohoku region.

During my Autumn trip to Japan last year 2023 I made the pilgrimage up 2446 stone steps within a stunning 1.7km walk starting at Zuishinmon gate.

I set off through a towering cedar forest that is lined with temples and shrines to the top of Mt Haguro on a very wet and stormy autumn day.

The weather infact added to the atmosphere and you could almost hear the Kami whispering to you from the trees.

Dewa Sanzan 出羽三山 is the collective name given to the “Three Sacred Mountains of Dewa” — Mt. Haguro, Mt. Gassan, and Mt. Yudono. It has been a pilgrimage site for religious practitioners of ‘Shugendo’ for more than 1400 years. Shugendo 修験道 (in Japanese: “the Way of the Harsh Training”) is derived from Esoteric Buddhism practices; it includes principles from both the Shinto religion and Taoism and is strongly linked to Japan’s original spirituality that centers on the worship of mountains.

Mt. Haguro’s stone stairway is composed of three parts passing through the main Zuishinmon 随神門  gate crossing the vermillion “Shinkyo Bridge” you will first encounter “The Suga falls” 須賀の滝 this is where the yamabushi priests of the Dewa Sanzan shrine accomplish the Omisogi cleansing ritual in late March.




Through the dense forest is Grandpa Cedar (Jiji-sugi 爺杉) a Natural National Monument that is more than 1000 years old.


Next to this is the five story pagoda, Ninosaka Chaya 二ノ坂茶屋 a towering wooden structure that has been designated as a national treasure of Japan. It is the only pagoda of its kind that is not painted. The wooden walls of the pagoda are left bare so the construction can blend with the surrounding nature. Sadly at the time of visiting it was under some construction so was covered in scaffolding.

As I started to climb the holy path that has drawn pilgrims here for centuries, the stone steps got steeper and steeper and are indeed a challenge.


I was aiming to rest at the tea house but due to the time of year it was closed so hoping there would be refreshments at the top it pushed me on to arrive at the summit.

Passing ancient graveyards and shrines along the way.

The Izanagi shrine ruins and its torii

Finally arriving at the summit to the complex of Sanshuden 参集殿.


With its big thatched-roof  (Sanjingosaiden) Dewa Shrine, also called Hagurosan Shrine or Sanjingōsaiden shrine (三神合祭殿).

Here you can buy amulets Omamori (御守/お守) . Omamori are Japanese amulets commonly sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, dedicated to particular Shinto kami as well as Buddhist figures, and are said to provide various forms of luck and protection.

Dewa Sanzan Museum

At the summit I was happy to find a couple making warm drinks and food in their souvenir shop.

I had a welcome rest and snack of amazake and mitarashi dango before my decent. A challenge that was well-rewarded.

On the way back down they had removed some of the scaffolding from the pagoda, I did go back the next day in hope they had removed more but at least I got to see some of it not covered in scaffolding.

For the true Japan experience stay at a Shukubo Pilgrim Lodge.

Shukubo are purpose-built lodges established for those making a pilgrimage up Mt Haguro.

They are not  Ryokan Inns, nor are they a hotel. Staying in a Shukubo is more like staying in both a temple and a Ryokan at the same time.


Besides lodging, the main role of a Shukubo is simply to support pilgrims.

They offer traditional Japanese tatami-style rooms, in other words, sleeping on a futon on the floor and delicious shojin ryouri style evening meal and breakfast.







This experience added to the trip and I would definitely recommend it.


Mountain Day, or Yama no Hi

(山の日)

Japans newest public holiday, only starting in 2016. A holiday to honour the Japanese landscape with its many mountains and volcanoes.

Mountain day normally falls on August 11th the reason this day was chosen is that the kanji for the eighth month looks like a mountain 八 and the number 11 signifies two trees

Why not read more about today on my previous blog post including about other mountains I have visited.

Did you know the triangular shaped onigiri is said to resemble a mountain?

When eating Onigiri it is said you are taking on its power. Maybe this is why they are the food of choice to fuel a long journey or hike.

Today I made a special onigiri to resemble Mt Fuji and filled it with steamed Kabocha.

What mountains have you visited in Japan ?

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Japanese Micro Season 9 芒種 Bōshu (Grain beards and seeds)

01/06/2020 Leave a comment

芒種 Bōshu (Grain beards and seeds)
June 6–10 蟷螂生 Kamakiri shōzu Praying mantises hatch

June 11–15 腐草為螢 Kusaretaru kusa hotaru to naru Rotten grass becomes fireflies

June 16–20 梅子黄 Ume no mi kibamu Plums turn yellow

Midway through the summer micro seasons the rice is planted in the wet paddy fields of Japan, their little stalks looking almost like the praying mantis. Fire flies start to dart around in the  early evening, a truly magical event. Japan’s rainy season will soon arrive . The rainy season is called Tsuyu meaning plum rain, the rain that falls when the plums are ripe for the picking. It is an important part of Japanese culture, harvesting the plums to be made into liquor or preserved in salt to make umeboshi. I have a few recipes on my recipe pages using umeboshi why not give them a try over this time. The sweet and sour tofu is a particular favourite, as is umeboshi onigiri.


In Japan over the rainy season you may see ghost like pieces of cloth hanging at windows these are called Teru Teru Bozu, they depict a weather monk and are said to be used to pray for a sunny day. Often children might hang them the day before an event or by farmers.
Rainy season is celebrated in Japan like any other and it is at this time the ajisai  (hydrangeas) bloom and many people go to the gardens to see them. If you would like to make my soup for the rainy you can also find that in my recipe section, a bright green soup to represent the lush vegetation at this time, you can also read more about places to see Ajisai on this post.


I am also thinking it might be a good time to set goals for the rest of the year. Planting that rice paddy and letting it grow ( metaphorically speaking ) . As many of us have been slowing down over the last few months let’s not be too eager to rush back into our old hectic lives. I know many of you like myself have been getting out  and enjoying nature more. I speak personally when I say it does indeed have a calming effect. Many people especially in the countryside of Japan enjoy the changing seasons and cook seasonal foods. Doing this can help us feel more connected to the earth. This is why many of my recipes are seasonal either enjoying produce of the time or relating to some Japanese custom of the year.  I think many of us tend to get lost in our everyday lives and I think as we start to move forward from this trying time of 2020 it would be nice to keep some of the slowness that we may have found. I hope that you might try making some Japanese food for yourself. Try to find some local seasonal produce, maybe choose a recipe you could use them in and set aside time to cook it. Do it in a peaceful environment. While your preparing the food think about who you are making the food for sending love and good energies into the food. This is a nice meditation that you can use while doing everyday tasks.

Blog, Spring Food

Micro Season Part 2 雨水 Usui Rainwater

17/02/2020 Leave a comment

雨水 Usui ( Rainwater )

The micro seasons for this part are as follows:

February 19–23 土脉潤起 Tsuchi no shō uruoi okoru. Rain moistens the soil.

February 24–28 霞始靆 Kasumi hajimete tanabiku. Mist starts to linger.

March 1–5 草木萌動 Sōmoku mebae izuru. Grass sprouts, trees bud.

At the start of spring in Japan before the cherry blossoms bloom another tree has its moment. For people in Japan this is just as imported. When the stunning  plum blossoms arrive it begins the arrival of spring by symbolising renewal and hope. One of the best places to view over 2000 ume trees is the Kitano Tenmangu shrine in Kyoto. They have a plum blossom festival which is held on February 25th the grounds are full with plum blossom and a special outdoor tea ceremony called Baikasai is held. Maiko serve hot matcha tea with wagashi ( Japanese sweets ) they also have a flea market at the same time.
This micro season couldn’t be passed by without talking about Hina matsuri on the 3rd of March. This is also known as dolls day or girls day. On this day parents celebrate their daughters happiness and good health. Traditionally when a girl is born parents or grand parents will buy a special set of Hina dolls, sometimes they are passed down from generations. These dolls are displayed in the house from the end of February until March 3rd. The dolls are a representation of the emperor and empress .

These are my friends Hina dolls that she has displayed in her house. Instagram (@dokodemotokyo)

Sometime girls will invite friends for a party and have traditional foods.
There are lots of foods associated with this time.
Temari sushi, decorated sushi balls take their name from the Temari balls children played with. Temari means hand balls and they are beautiful embroidered balls that are now normally used for decoration. These bit sized sushi balls are easy to make just search Temari sushi for instructions.

Sakura Mochi a traditional spring wagashi for Hinamatsuri and the coming Sakura seasons. Sakura Mochi is a Mochi rice cake with a sweet red bean paste filling and then wrapped in a salted pickled Sakura leaf. It’s a nice combination of sweet and salty. Just search Sakura Mochi for the recipe.


There are three colours associated with Hinamatsuri white for purification, green for health and pink for luck. Often you will see dango in these three colours which are popular at this time. These are also called hanami dango or Sanshoku dango. Just search dango for recipes.

Cherry blossom cookies are also a nice one to make. Recipe on this website.


Others are strawberry daifuku,cherry blossom rice balls,inari sushi and chirashi sushi (scattered sushi

This year I will be making a chirashi sushi which resembles a cake in the three spring colours known as Chakin sushi.
Seasoned sushi rice which you can either layer using the colours in-between or colour the rice. I like to use natural colours so I used beetroot juice for pink mixed into cooked sushi rice and matcha tea.  You can then add the toppings to the top of the rice cake.
I think this would be a lovely one for a party or gathering.


You could even make mini ones cup cake style or make three layer onigiri.


I also decided to make onigiri in the shape of Hina dolls.

If you would like to see things I have made in previous years just search Hina matsuri, I hope this gives you some inspiration for your own celebration.

As I have no children it has also been suggested to me that girls day is a nice day to spend with girl friends or sisters. Maybe if you have no girl children you could plan a day out or go for a meal or celebrate women in general.