Mount Haguro, Sacred summit of Three Mountains of Dewa in Tsuruoka, Japan

Mount Haguro is a 414-meter summit in Tsuruoka reached by a stone stairway of 2446 steps winding through groves of ancient cedar trees. The pathway climbs steadily from the base to the peak, passing through a forest setting lined with towering old trees that form a cool, shaded route.

Mount Haguro is the lowest of the Three Mountains of Dewa, a pilgrimage site centred on Shugendo mountain worship. The five-storey pagoda at the entrance to the Ichi-no-saka approach is attributed to Taira no Masakado and is considered the oldest pagoda in the Tohoku region; the present structure, 29.0 m tall and built in the three-bay, five-storey shingled style, dates from a 15th-century reconstruction and was designated a National Treasure in 1966.

The mountain functions as a gathering place for Shugendo practitioners who seek spiritual insight through mountain worship and closeness with nature. Visitors can observe how pilgrims still use the site today for their spiritual practices and ritual walks.

A bus from Tsuruoka Station reaches the mountain base in around 40 minutes, and service runs throughout the year. Sturdy walking shoes are advisable since the climb involves many steps through a forest environment.

Beside the five-story pagoda stands the Jiji-sugi, a cedar over 1,000 years old, designated a national natural monument on 9 June 1951. A companion tree, the "Baba-sugi", once grew next to it but was lost in a typhoon in 1902. Both the pagoda and the cedar are components of a Japan Heritage site.