Yamadera: 1,000-step staircase to paradise

Travel Nov 8, 2014

Yamadera: 1,000-step staircase to paradise

by Mandy Bartok

We're only a few minutes into our climb up one of Yamagata Prefecture's holy mountains, Mount Hojusan, and already our pace has slowed considerably. Our destination is Risshakuji Temple, more colloquially known as Yamadera (literally: "mountain temple"), a far-north outpost of Tendai Buddhism since ...

So much to soak up in Yamagata

Travel Jul 27, 2003

So much to soak up in Yamagata

by Luke Wainwright

OK, let me put this out there: Yamagata-ken, just like any sensible prefecture in Japan, loves tourists. But you get the feeling that Yamagata Prefecture Tourist Division tries a little harder to promote its treasures. They even occasionally invite journalists up for a spin ...