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Dewa Sanzan, Japan
Welcome to Saikan Dewa Sanzan Haguroyama. This Buddhist temple is located in Haguroyama and is part of the Three Mountains of Dewa. It’s an historical building, originally called Kezouin, but was rebuilt in 1697. Saikan Dewa Sanzan Haguroyama is a wooden temple with sliding doors, so doors cannot be locked though this only adds to the charm. Adventurous guests reach the temple by climbing up 2,466 stone steps, though there is also a bus you can take. From October to April it will be cold at night, so please bring warm clothes.
Good experience
The location is very impressive because you are in a temple, I appreciated the food though I still think that japanese breakfast is a bit difficult for our western habits… Most of the food is cold , very tasty but cold. The staff is kind but you will not meet them very often. You can assist to the prayings at seven in the morning and get your breakfast at 7h30 if you wish, you will be served as soon as you arrive in the dining room. The onsen is nice and located near the kitchen, you can speak to the staff at this occasion and see what you will get for dinner. One important thing : the ryokan is at the top of Mont Aguro, at the top of the 2446 steps…You will need one hour of bus (or 40 minutes drive) to reach the beginning of Mont Gasan trail. Be sure you have enough time. We stood there in August and we found the room very hot, there is no air-conditioning, and only two fans were provided. What is missing is may be a convivial room with sofa, chairs where you could read, drink hot coffee and feel comfortable. Hot coffee and hot eggs would be very appreciated for breakfast as well. With regards to the price, towels and a more comfortable futon should be provided. I read the other guests reviews and noticed that even in winter the meals are cold (apart from rice and Miso soup), there is no western style breakfast either.
By Sandrine
Feel like a pilgrim
It was cold, rain, snow in the area and a very special experience. The location was always used by pilgrims to sleep, eat and pray. That is the service still provided. Nothing more and nothing less. And ase it should be. It is true that when you are not Japanese you sit next (behind a screen) to the Japanese guests. Reason is that they give you a bit more comfortable seats. All the rest is the same. Though they could bring more atmosphere to the dining room overall, but the food is good. The fish they serve is seen as part of the mountain for that you may eat it. Thanks to google translate we good the idea behind. We understand they are not in hospitality branch as the focus is on the special Temple. And it is. It is a rare combination of Shinto and Buddhism. You can join the ceremony at 7 am, but through the day more ceremonies are done. Do not feel shy and just join them. Think we did 6 in 2 days! Also it is a nice area to walk. Even when it is raining the trees protect you from the rain. At the pagoda we asked the monks to blow the special horn and they did for use. It is for what the mountain monks are known. Some tips. Be on time and check your room. Normally they do not have many guests and in our case we asked for a bit bigger room. We could pay by visa and they have a vending machine for soda and even beer. You can reach he temple by car.
By Joanna
Magical in winter
Apart from two other guests on our first night, we were the only guests in the depths of winter, so it was an unusually quiet experience. But we did come here to get away from the tourist hordes, so that worked great for us. The rooms are living spaces carved out of a potentially large hall divided by shoji sliding doors/walls. Our room was perfectly warm and comfortable as portable heaters were provided, plus lots of hooks to hang up your winter gear. The downside for urbanites is that the corridors are unheated, and there is no hot water in the bathroom sinks. It is not fun to brush your teeth with icy water. Still…it is a monastery, after all, and a couple of days of privation doesn’t kill anyone. The meals are fine, the usual mix of hot rice and soup with pre-cooked fish and vegetables. I did find the same formula (ie Japanese style breakfast that is almost identical to the dinner meal) monotonous, and we were there only 2 days. I thought the kitchen crew could have saved themselves some early morning labor, and delighted the guests more, if they could have served some simple hot eggs/toast/coffee etc for breakfast. Or anything else, really. Where austerity comes up against hospitality, austerity tends to win here. The guest entrance, for example, was the unglamorous back kitchen entrance, and it felt odd walking by the guts of the kitchen everyday on your way in and out, and the kerosene supplies were placed right inside the back entrance, which just crowded the narrow entry way. The worst thing is that the back entrance does not have a heated mudroom, so your snowed-up boots would remain icy all through the night. We had been warned by previous reviewers about the towels, so we brought our own, thankfully. They did provide a good set of yukata, and the hot bath was a good respite from the cold. Having said all that, one did get a palpable sense of history here, and the temple itself is unspeakably beautiful. It was a privilege to observe the 7am temple ceremony. The temple grounds, with its ancient trees, had a very special feel. It pulls you to explore the walking paths, and the sense of serenity is everywhere. There was heavy snowfall when we visited, and pristine snow-laden tree branches at every turn. We were advised by the two young men who trekked up the famous steps that it would not be suitable for our 8-year-old, as the snow was so deep you could sink up to your waist if you put your foot in the wrong place. So, we drove down to the bottom, where we hiked maybe 10-15 minutes to reach the 5-tier pagoda. The waterfall and bridge en route was a lovely surprise. If the opportunity arises, I would gladly return in spring or fall.