The big Tohoku adventure using only public transport has officially begun! On Day 1, I’m heading from Aichi to Yamadera, a famous mountain temple in Yamagata Prefecture. In this post, I’ll show you how to get there and what the journey actually looked like – with lots of photos, of course!
Check out the previous post about the departure here:
The Big Journey Begins! Off from Aichi to Explore All of Tohoku!
And here we go — the Tohoku adventure has officially kicked off! I left Aichi at 8 AM and headed straight to Tokyo Station. From there, I hopped on the Tohoku Shinkansen “Hayabusa” and set my sights on the first destination: Sendai.
It was Obon season, so getting a seat on the Hayabusa Shinkansen was nearly impossible… 😢 I had no choice but to grab a “standing room only” ticket.
What’s a ‘standing room only’ Shinkansen ticket? It’s a special type of ticket for trainswhere all seats are reserved— if everything’s sold out, you can still ride… but standing.Since there are no non-reserved seats, you basically just find a spot in the aisle or by the door and stand the whole way. This only applies to trains where all cars require seat reservations — so be careful when planning your trip!
We turned our backpacks into makeshift chairs and sat shoulder to shoulder on the floor of the Shinkansen deck — two sisters roughin’ it together.
Pretty wild way to kick off the trip, right? Total survival mode from day one 😂
And the ride to Sendai? Yeah… it was loooong. Honestly, kinda brutal 😅
Heading to Yamadera via the JR Senzan Line
貴重な電車
Once you arrive at Sendai Station, it’s time to transfer to the JR Senzan Line and head toward Yamadera.
Heads-up: the Senzan Line only runs once an hour. Yup, just one train. Plan carefully! The ride itself takes about an hour. So yeah, keeping track of the timetable is super important 😂
Arrived at Yamadera!
So… What’s Yamadera? “Yamadera” (officially called Risshaku-ji) is a sacred mountain temple in Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture. It’s been a spiritual spot for centuries — and today, it’s also a super popular destination for travelers.It’s also famous thanks to the legendary haiku poet Matsuo Basho, who wrote the line: “Such stillness— the sound of cicadas sinks into the rocks.” in his travel journal The Narrow Road to the Deep North. The classic pilgrimage route? Climbing the 1,015 stone steps all the way up to the inner sanctuary (Oku-no-in). Legend has it: each step you take helps cleanse you of worldly desires. A workout and a spiritual cleanse — talk about multitasking!
Yes, that’s right — Yamadera is famous for its 1,015 steps!! 😂 Climbing this loooong staircase is said to help you let go of your earthly desires. It’s a holy workout for your soul (and your calves) 🙏💪
“I’m sooo tired…”
“I need ice cream. Like, now.”
“Why can’t we be in a hot spring instead?!”
“Someone build a freakin’ ropeway already!!”←(Yeah yeah, totally killing the sacred vibe…)
Covered in sweat, overwhelmed by heat and worldly desires, we just kept climbing. Step after step after step…
Yamadera’s insanely brutal— ahem, I mean, “spiritually enriching” — staircase.
Highly recommend wearing comfy, well-broken-in shoes. Trust me — your feet will thank you later!
Basho climbed these ridiculously tough— uh, I mean sacred and enlightening—steps too. And even after that, he managed to write this beautiful haiku: “Such stillness— the sound of cicadas sinks into the rocks.” Honestly, I was blown away by his calm mind and poetic soul. I’d be too busy gasping for air to think of anything that elegant! 😂
Meanwhile, as for me… All I could think about the entire time was, “I want ice cream. I NEED ice cream.”
…Yeah, maybe I needed a few more steps to reach enlightenment.
The View from Yamadera
Make it to the top… and boom — the view is totally worth it!
Near the top of the mountain, there’s a spot called Godaido — a wooden hall with an absolutely stunning panoramic view of the countryside. It’s seriously breathtaking!
The View from Godaido Hall
After soaking in the beautiful view and letting my soul recharge… it was time to go back down those ridiculously brutal— I mean, amazing—1,015 steps.
Let’s just say… my legs turned into jelly. Going down was a whole different kind of pain😂
The Area Around Yamadera Station Is Retro and Super Charming
The station building and the area around Yamadera Station have this adorable retro vibe. It’s like stepping back in time — in the best way. Since trains only come once an hour, wandering around and soaking up the nostalgic streetscape is a great way to kill time!
yamadera Hotel
Yamadera closes to visitors at 5 PM, so make sure to head back down before then! ⏰
The next day, I’m off to Zao! But first — hop back on the Senzan Line and head to Yamagata Station. 🚆
A Genmaicha※ Surprise in Yamagata(※roasted rice green tea)
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