Godaidō (Pavilion of the Five Masters) — Attraction in Yamagata

I’ve been to a lot of temples in Japan but I can say that this one tops them all, the view from the top is stunning and the small village at the top is unexpectedly beautiful, the most Japanese temple I’ve seen with a lot of concrete figures I can’t determine but its amazing, there are lot of sealing paper that was attached in every corners in the buildings and some on the big trees.

I got pretty nervous since I didn’t wear snow shoes and most of the stairs are covered with snow but I did explore most of the areas.

You must go back to the entrance at 4pm it’s not really a hard climb since you will enjoy the scenery...

Climbing the thousand steps of Yamadera to see the temples at the top was such a great experience. The little town of Yamadera is super cute and peaceful, and surprisingly easy to get to from Sendai. Even the train station has its own charm – it just sets the mood perfectly.

The walk up the mountain was beautiful, and yeah, the stairs were definitely a workout, but totally worth it. I went with my in-laws, and even though they’re not the youngest anymore, they managed just fine since there are lots of places to stop and take a break along the way.

All in all, a stunning and...

The main attraction of a complex of temples collectively referred to as Yamadera. Had been looking forward to visiting and was not disappointed, but ... Went very early on a holiday weekend, and it was pretty busy. The scale somewhat limits crowding, but it was starting to get crazy when we left and we passed a huge traffic jam, so consider the season when planning a visit. Also, it could be quite a climb for some and the weather can be a factor. There are many interesting things to see along the way to the top, but not many English...