Risshakuji Temple (Yamadera)

Basho Matsuo, a haiku poet, wrote his famous poem, “ah this silence / sinking into the rocks / voice of cicada” here at Yamadera, Yamagata’s premier scenic spot.

This temple of the Tendai Sect was founded by Jikaku Daishi (the priest, Ennin) in 860, and has been a center of worship as an Enkiri-dera (temple in which women seeking release from marriage could take refuge) since ancient times.

A stone stairway of 1,015 steps stretches all the way up to the summit, and takes about 40 minutes one way. Visitors can enjoy the rugged rocks, rich greenery, pagodas of all sizes, and the scenery in all four seasons.