Day 2 on the Dewa Sanzan
On the second day of the Dewa Sanzan pilgrimage we tackled the mighty Gassan and the mysterious Yudono-san. The morning started early by taking the first bus to the Gassan car park from the bus stop outside our accommodation Haguromachi Touge. Important note for travelers, Japanese buses do not accept 5,000 yen notes. Once we had paid for our ticket we took the clearly marked trail to Gassan. We passed plenty of pilgrims dressed in white with splendid split toed boots based on traditional straw sandals but with a modern hiking boot soles. Halfway up we stopped at the small tea house for liquid refreshments. As we climbed higher is was possible to see Tsuruoka and the coast of the Sea of Japan. Following the gently climbing path the tiny stone shrine appeared balanced on the top of Gassan at 1984m. After receiving a blessing and a cleansing with a tiny piece of blotting paper I made my offering with claps and bows. This shrine represents death for followers of the Shugen-do sect. Close to the shrine there is a small refuge and it is possible to stay the night there.
