In a world where switching off is all but impossible, sometimes we need to retreat to a secluded mountain temple and pretend like we’re in the movie “Batman Begins”. (The bit where Batman is training in Bhutan. Not the bit in Gotham City).
And if you were to do that, there’s no better place than Mount Haguro in Yamagata, where for hundreds of years Yamabushi Monks have practiced the ruthless art of self discipline, meditating in silence - often for days at a time.
I’d visited Mount Haguro on dozens of occasions as I had the very good fortune of working just 45 minutes away, for the three years I was an English teacher. I quickly discovered that Haguro is the place to go to if you want to feel like you’ve stepped into a Hayao Miyazaki movie. Or at the very least, to impress your friends by showing them “the real Japan”. (Sarcastic undertones aside, I genuinely mean that).
As you descend down the steps into the dense and luscious forest at the base of Mount Haguro (414m), across red lacquer bridges and majestic gushing waterfalls, you emerge into a clearing with a towering Five Storey Pagoda, which has stood for hundreds of years and has been designated as a national treasure.
If you’re brave and fit enough, you may even climb the 2,446 stone stairs to the summit, where Japan’s largest thatched roof awaits you; a sprawling secluded temple that’ll make you feel a sense of awe and wonder so spectacular, you’ll forget to look at the notifications on your phone for the rest of the day.
After being burnt out after a hectic year, Ryotaro signed me up for a cwalking meditation session, where we adorned pure white robes and trudged through the snow in silence for a few hours, as the Yamabushi Monk guided us over bridges and through trees, all the while with the snow falling peacefully around us.
It may sound like a bit of fun, but it’s no gimmick. The Yamabushi Monks feel a strong connection with nature, eating only Vegan foods sourced from the very mountain we found ourselves on and showing a level of appreciation for their surroundings that was remarkable to witness.
At the end of our journey, despite my feet being almost frozen solid in the traditional wooden sandals, I realised that for the entirety of our two hour meditation session through the forest, for the first time in a long time I’d found myself truly in the moment.
Road Tripping to Japan’s Mouthwatering Ramen Capital
Road Tripping to Japan’s Mouthwatering Ramen Capital | Kitakata, Fukushima I won’t lie, once you’ve seen a dozen temples and shrines you’ve more or less seen them all. That doesn’t mean you can...
Wandering the Bustling Streets of Japanese Venice
Wandering the Bustling Streets of Japanese Venice | Kurashiki, Okayama When somebody told me Japan had its very own answer to Venice, the cynic in me called bullshit. Having visited Venice and been blown...
Tasting the Finest Wagyu in Japan with Natsuki
Tasting the Finest Wagyu in Japan with Natsuki | Morioka, Iwate A few years ago I won a competition called “Tohoku 365” whereby I received funding to travel around all of north Japan and document the ...
Japan’s Most Underrated City
Japan’s Most Underrated City | Matsuyama, Ehime Ask me what my favourite spot in Japan is and the one that comes racing to my mind first and foremost is the view from Matsuyama Castle, nestled in the he...
Discovering Sapporo for the First time with Natsuki
Discovering Sapporo for the First time with Natsuki | Sapporo, Hokkaido You can’t beat exploring a city for the first time with a good friend. One August after both Natsuki and I found ou...
Cycling the Islands of Japan’s Stunning Inland Sea
Cycling the Islands of Japan’s Stunning Inland Sea | Onomichi, Hiroshima If I had to give one place as being the most jaw-dropping, “instagramable” location in Japan, that award would go the Setouch...
Getting Lost with a Madman in Osaka
Getting Lost with a Madman in Osaka | Osaka City As a lover of cyberpunk, retro wave and Blade Runner, Osaka is effectively my holy city. "What about Tokyo’s Shibuya and Shinjuku districts?” you might...
Wasting the Day Away at Sake Vending Machines
Wasting the Day Away at Sake Vending Machines | Niigata City, Niigata “Sake vending machines.”- Say it out loud. It’s f*cking magical isn’t it? Co...
Road Tripping Hokkaido in the Winter
Road Tripping Hokkaido in the Winter | Noboribetsu, Hokkaido You can’t quite beat the sensation of relaxing in a hot spring in winter, soaking beneath the steam with the icy breeze blowing against your ...
Staying in a Traditional Japanese Inn
Staying in a Traditional Japanese Inn | Yonezawa, Yamagata I’d known my cheeky Japanese friend Ryotaro six months when he invited me to travel with him on a visit to see his friend Satou-san, the owner ...
Devouring a Bowl of Monster Ramen
Devouring a Bowl of Monster Ramen | Akihabara, Tokyo If you’ve always wondered if there’s a place that sells a bowl of ramen so large and ridiculous in scale that you could potentially overdose ...
Making Friends in Japan: My Experiences and Tips
Considering it’s the question I’ve received thrice daily for the past 2 years, I still haven’t worked out a proper response to; “Will I be able to make Japanese friends in Japan?” ...
