Journeys in Japan
Dewa Sanzan, Yamagata Part 1: Deep Mountain Worship
TV-G
S5 • E30 Oct 13, 2014 28mIn the center of Yamagata Prefecture, far to the north of Tokyo, 3 sacred mountains rise above the fertile Shonai Plain. Called Dewa Sanzan (the Three Mountains of Dewa), they comprise: Mt. Haguro; Mt. Yudono; and Mt. Gassan, the highest of the 3, at about 2,000 meters. These 3 mountains have been a major center for esoteric religious practices known as mountain worship for over 1,400 years. In a 2-part series of Journeys in Japan, aikido master William Reed visits Dewa Sanzan to explore the practices of traditional mountain worship and to discover the ways in which the local people pay their respects to the mountains.