Page 280 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

278  JAP AN REGION B Y REGION

8 Tsuruoka up the 2,446 stone steps of the
Tsuruoka Japanese cedar-lined path. Take
the bus to Haguro Center to start
Yamagata prefecture. * 132,000. £
n City Office, 9-25 Baba-cho (0235) 25- the climb. At the second stage
2111. _ Tenjin Matsuri (May 25), Shonai is a teahouse with a view of the
Taisai (Feudal Lord’s Procession Aug 15). Mogami River valley. A side path
goes to the ruins of a temple
Gateway to Dewa Sanzan, where Basho stayed. At the top
Tsuruoka was the Sakai clan’s is the Dewa Sanzan Shrine, an
castle seat. Best of this impressive lacquered
friendly town’s building with the largest Equestrian statue of Masamune, founder of
attractions is the thatched roof in the city of Sendai
Chido Museum, Japan, and Prince
west of the former Hachiko’s tomb. 0 Sendai
castle grounds. It After the 1868 Meiji Sendai
includes a kabuto­ Restoration, all
zukuri (helmet-style) Shugendo temples Miyagi prefecture. * 1,067,000.
k £ n at 2F JR Sendai stn (022)
farmhouse, and were turned into 222-4069. _ Sendai Aoba Matsuri
marvelous folk objects Shinto shrines. The (3rd weekend in May), Sendai
such as lac quered sake only true Buddhist struc- Tanabata (Weavers’ Festival, Aug 6–8).
caskets, bamboo ture left is the graceful ∑ sentabi.jp/en
fishing poles, and five-story pagoda
decorative straw at the foot of the Laid out in a grid pattern in the
bandori (back packs). stone steps. 1600s by the dynamic lord Date
Southeast of the castle Bandori backpack, Mount Gassan, also Masamune, Sendai is the north’s
is the 1806 Chidokan, a Chido Museum topped by a shrine, largest city. Osaki Hachiman
school for young sam- offers alpine flowers Shrine is a black lacquer
urai. For the famous local painted and summer skiing. It is a two- architectural beauty in the
candles, visit the over 300-year- hour trek to the top from the northwest of the city. Over-
old Togashi Candle Shop. Hachigome bus stop. The shrine looking the ruins of Aoba Castle
on Mount Yudono, a 2.5-km from 1602 is a statue of the
P Chido Museum (2- mile) hike from the Yudonosan warrior Masamune, nick named
Tel (0235) 22-1199. Open daily. Hotel bus stop, has a sacred the “one-eyed dragon.” The ruins
Closed Dec–Feb: Wed. & hot-water spring in which pil- are set in a park that is a bus
E Chidokan grims bathe their feet. Mummi- ride to the west of the station.
Tel (0235) 23-4672. Open Thu–Tue. fied priests, examples of soku­ Nearby, the ornately carved
shin jobutsu (living Buddhas), Date mausoleums at Zuihoden,
can be seen at the temples of rebuilt after the war, are
9 Dewa Sanzan Dainichi-bo and Churen-ji, on remarkable replicas of
the way to Mount Yudono. Momoyama-period architecture.
In March 2011,
Yamagata prefecture. @ from Shoko Sendai became the
Mall near JR Tsuruoka stn. n at epicenter of the worst
Tsuruoka stn (0235) 25-7678. Mt earthquake and
Haguro: Open daily. _ Hassaku tsunami in recorded
Matsuri (Aug 31), Shoreisai Matsuri Japanese history.
(Dec 31). Mt Gassan: Open Jul 1–fall. Sendai airport was
Mt Yudono: Open late Apr–early Nov.
engulfed by the 7-m
Dewa is the old name for this (24-ft) high tsunami
region and Sanzan are its three wave resulting in its
mountains – Haguro-san complete closure,
(Mount Black Wing), Gassan and significant
(Mount Moon), and Yudono-san damage was done
(Mount Bath) – opened for to the road, rail, and
religious purposes 1,400 years subway networks.
ago by Hachiko, an imperial The city has made
prince turned wander ing much progress since
priest. The three are sacred to the disaster and all
yamabushi, mountain ascetics transport networks
of the Shugendo sect. in the area have been
Millions of pilgrims and sight- re-established. Sendai
seers visit Dewa Sanzan on foot is now a safe place
or by toll road. The route to the for tourists to visit
peak of Mount Haguro is a climb Cedar-lined stone steps up to Mount Haguro and all sites are open.
For hotels and restaurants see p307 and pp337–8

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
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Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm