Yamadera (Risshakuji Temple)
立石寺（山寺）
A mountain temple said to date from 860, its halls dotted over a rocky peak. After 1,015 stone steps, the Godaido hall looks down on the valley town.
A Tendai temple known as "Yamadera"
Risshakuji is a temple of the Tendai school of Buddhism in Yamagata City; its full formal name is Hojusan Risshakuji. According to temple tradition, it was founded in 860 by Jikaku Daishi Ennin on the orders of Emperor Seiwa. Because its halls are spread across the whole mountain, it is affectionately known as Yamadera, "the mountain temple".
The Konponchudo hall at the foot of the mountain is said to be the oldest building in Japan made of beech wood, and it is a national Important Cultural Property. Inside burns the "Eternal Flame of the Dharma" (Fumetsu no Hoto), divided from the flame at Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei. When Oda Nobunaga burned Enryaku-ji in 1571 and its flame went out, it is said that Risshakuji returned the favour by sharing its flame to relight it.
Yamadera was designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty and Historic Site in 1932.
Where Basho wrote a famous haiku
The haiku poet Matsuo Basho visited Risshakuji in 1689, and in his travel journal The Narrow Road to the Deep North he left the haiku "Shizukasa ya / iwa ni shimiiru / semi no koe" (roughly, "Such stillness: the cicadas' voices sinking into the rocks"). Along the approach is the Semizuka ("cicada mound"), where Basho is said to have buried the strip of paper on which he wrote the poem.
Climbing the 1,015 stone steps
From the trailhead to the Okunoin (inner sanctuary) there are 1,015 stone steps in all. You pass through the Sanmon gate, then the Semizuka, the Midahora (a rock face in which, over long years, the figure of Amida Buddha is said to have emerged) and the zelkova-wood Nio-mon gate, before heading on to the Okunoin at the very top.
On the way you pass the Kaisando, dedicated to the temple's founder Jikaku Daishi, and the Nokyodo, a small hall perched on a rock. The best viewpoint is the Godaido, a hall that juts out from the top of a cliff. From here you can look out over the town below and the surrounding mountains.
Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes for the round trip. In summer you can enjoy the sound of cicadas, and in autumn the red leaves.
Getting there
The nearest station is Yamadera on the JR Senzan Line, about 10 minutes' walk from the foot of the steps. Take the Yamagata Shinkansen to Yamagata Station, or the Tohoku Shinkansen to Sendai Station, and change to the Senzan Line. The entrance fee and visiting hours can change, so check the official website.
Tips
- The flights of steps are long and steep in places. Wear shoes with a good grip, such as trainers.
- From December to March the gates may close early depending on the weather. In winter snow makes the steps treacherous, so take extra care.
- Flying drones is prohibited in the temple grounds and the surrounding area.
Sources
Updated 28 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.
