Cradle [クレードル] 出羽庄内地域文化情報誌

Rokujurigoe Road, which connects the Shonai Region to the inland, is said to have been opened 1,200 years ago. It was a rugged mountain route running from Tsuruoka through Jyuotouge , Oami, Sainokamitoge, and Tamugimata  to pass over Ogukidoge, then on to Shizu, Hondoji, and Sagae to arrive in Yamagata.

It was a well-worn road that saw numerous pilgrims and travelers come and go, but retreated from center stage when a new road was opened in the late 1890s to early 1900s. Even today, there are many historic remains along the route lying beneath the moss that speak of that time.

During the Muromachi and Edo periods when mountain worship was at its height, the road was busy with pilgrims (worshippers) who came from various parts of the Tohoku and Kanto regions to visit Mt. Yudono. Records also show that during the Warring States Period the route was trod by military horses, and in the feudal government period it was utilized by daimyo traveling to and from the capital. Other travelers included people from Shonai who carried loads of fishes and candles on their backs, and travelers from inland who carried safflower, silk floss, beans, and tobacco leaves.

This temple is said to have been established by Kobo Daishi Kukai. In 833, Kukai built a fire altar beneath the cherry blossom trees where he continued to pray for 49 days. Hachidai doji (eight great youths) appeared and led him to a shintai (sacred object) on Mt. Yudono. Kukai hung shime rope (used to cordon off consecrated areas; written in the same kanji letters to spell Churen) from the cherry blossom branches and named the temple, Churen. He also named the mountain, Yudono.

The temple is famous for appearing in Atsushi Mori’s novel, “Mt. Gassan.” Saint Tetsumonkai’s mummified body is enshrined here. Within the grounds, there are shimekake-zakura that bloom around the beginning of May each year. Legend says that in the year of the ox, the year Mt. Yudono was opened, sacred Shinto straw festoons appear by themselves.

This tower stands 4m high and is approximately 2m wide, and is said to be the largest in Tohoku. “Koshin” refers to a day in the 57^th term of the Chinese astrological calendar made possible through the combination of the lunar calendar and the sexagenary cycle. On the eve of koshin, religious associations gather at an appointed home, and after singing songs such as the “koshin sowaka,” they talk through the night. The tower was constructed to commemorate these gatherings.

This beautiful, multi-level home, featuring a unique construction born from living in a snowy climate and narrow valley, still remains standing today. Tamugimata was an important stopping point along Rokujurigoe Road and was a village of inns where many travelers stayed. During the Edo Period, 7 or 8 of the approximately 30 homes were inns, and the lights at the lodging houses never went out.

As is spelled out by the Japanese kanji letters, this road went through the mountain and was approximately 2m across. Locals call it Kohonogi and Ohonogi. The beech trees form a tunnel, and throughout the four seasons create a canopy over your head. In spring, the canopy is of new leaves, in fall the canopy becomes colorful as the autumn leaves turn, and in the summer the leaves protect walkers from the strong summer sun. It presents the perfect shade and instills an inexplicable comfort.

On this land sacred to the Mt. Yudono faith, travelers who aspired to become sokushinbutsu underwent harsh ascetic practices that included giving up grains. It is said that devotees constructed Yudonosanhi (Mt. Yudono stone monument) in praise of the travelers after they had completed 1,000 to 5,000 days of training. This large stone monument constructed in 1881 stands on the bank of a mountain river and speaks of times past.