What this area is like
Mount Haguro, with its five-storey pagoda in a cedar forest, is the gateway to the Dewa Sanzan pilgrimage. Tsuruoka’s Kamo Aquarium specialises in jellyfish, and Sakata has the Sankyo rice warehouses.
Plan your visit
Fly to Shonai Airport or take the JR Uetsu Line. Buses run from Tsuruoka to Mount Haguro.