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. . . about Mt. Gassan
Gassan (月山) translates to "Moon"-"Mountain". The Japanese consider this and two other nearby mountains to be sacred. The other two are Mt. Yudono and Mt. Haguro. Altogether the three compose what is called the Dewa Sanzan. There are beliefs about reincarnation, etc., involved. The name Gassan has something to do with worshiping the moon. At the top, there is a shrine which you have to pay to enter and also you need to be purified by the priest.
I'm a Catholic, so I wasn't into the whole purification ritual aspect. I would have paid for entrance, but that's where I would have drawn the line. I was probably too early because the shrine was closed and there was nobody there so it was a non-issue.
Gassan is not only on the list of 100 Famous Mountains, it's also on the list of 100 Famous Flower Mountains. I guess that's kind of like winning an Emmy and a Grammy--or is it an Oscar? I can't get any of those awards straight. Whatever. There are rare and beautiful flowers all over the place.
Area:
Gassan is in Yamagata (山形 "Mountain" "Shape") Prefecture in the Tohoku (東北 "East" "North") Region. Yamagata is known for lots of snowfall. They even ski in summer in some places.
Yamagata has great fruit. Cherries and Lafrance Pears are yummy.
Yonezawa Beef is to die for.
Read to the end to find out about the chili peppers!
Location:
Map: ***If you want a link to the latest Yama to Kogen map, comment and I'll get you a link. This link is to a printable topo map of this area. Please note that there are several mountains in Japan named Gassan. This one is in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture.
Starting and stopping point:
See this link for information on another route, from the 8th Station on the Haguro side.
Peaks bagged:
姥が岳 (Ubagatake) ~ 柴森 (Saitomori) ~ 月山 (Gassan)
(First-time) peaks #1,117~1,119
(First-time) 100 Famous Mountain Peak #58
Getting there/getting around:
I drove. There is parking just below the Gassan Lift at the Ubasawa Parking Lot. It costs ¥1,000 in 2026.
There is bus service from either Sendai or Yamagata Stations. In both cases, it is a 2.5 hour trip and you have to change buses on the way. See the Mt. Gassan dot com access page.
Helpful Info
Weather Information:
Time and distance
YAMAP's Estimate Time: 6:25 Distance: 11.5 km
The Caveman did it in: Total Time: 4:51 Break time: :17 Distance: 11 km
Elevation: Lowest: 1,154 m Highest: 1,984 m* Total Ascent: 935 m Total Descent: 935 m
*(Truth in advertising....I thought the shrine at the top was the peak until I got home and realized I had stopped about 100 meters short of the top! I probably was about 20 meters below the top.)
Technical considerations/difficulty:
Not too difficult. In the snow, there is the possibility of slipping and sliding, but that was about the most concerning thing. There are no places you have to scramble and not much of it is very steep.
There were a few times I thought of putting on my chain spikes but there were wide areas barren of snow between the snow fields so I didn't bother. I did wish I had a snow axe once or twice; not to use for climbing, but to have as a brake in case I slipped.
I don't like poles, but if you like poles, this would be a good place to have them for descending through the snow.
Facilities:
There are a few lodges near the parking lot.
Near the top, there is a biomass toilet and accommodations at the Gassan Sancho Lodge. They are open from the end of June through Septemeber.
The lower portion of the trail crisscrosses the Ubasawa Stream many times and you can drink it.
Thoughts/observations/recommendations:
Great place. I'm glad I did it. If I had more time, I would have incorporated the other mountains of the Dewa Sanzan.
Be careful. There are bears in the area, and one was spotted on the trail a few hours after I finished my hike.
(Along with all the regular stuff such as maps, headlamps, boots, feet, and brains, . . .) don't forget:
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Bear spray
portable sled
chain spikes
Let's look at some pictures.
This is a picture I took the night before at the nearby Sagae Dam.
I can see why the moon might be an object of worship in the area.
On the trail around 5:45 in the am.
A bear was spotted in this area around noontime that day.
I did see reports of bear warnings in the area on my map, but the latest was in August, 2025.
That is the problem with bear warnings. They are inconsistent. I know from my app that someone saw a bear here on this day. I also know that he didn't report it to the authorities. The number of people who know of the sighting is limited just to the few people who read his particular report.
Did you notice the squiggly lines in the snow? Ski tracks.
I wish I remembered to bring a sled.
Heading up the hill to Mt. Ubagatake
Mt. Ubagatake
("Old Woman" "Peak")
The shrine at the top
The view from the parking lot
Miscellany:
Below the mountain, on Lake Gassan, you can find Japan's highest fountain! It's called the Gassan Lake Grand Fountain (DaiFunsui).
It is like Old Faithful. It goes off on the hour.
To be honest, I thought it was exceptionally lame.
One of the local specialties of nearby Nishikawa is hot peppers. In standard Japanese, chili peppers are called togarashi, 唐辛子, but in this area, they are called nanbako, なんばこ.
Mrs. Caveman and I first encountered these delicacies at a restaurant called, either Nomidokoro Matsu 呑み処松 or Hotel Kohaku. Whatever it's called, the food and atmosphere were good. I noticed several bottles of spices on the table. There was a QR code on the bottles. When I clicked on the QR code, it led me to this video showing the local mayor meeting the women producing the nanbako.
Can you guess why they wear goggles and masks?
Yes, the peppers are that hot! 😆🌶🌶🌶
The nanbako are on sale at the local Nishikawa Michinoeki. Note the expression of the poor, old lady in the picture. She's just tasted the nanboko.
That's all for today.
This is my 58th of the 100 Famous Mountains. I'm realizing I'm feeling a pull to complete all 100 of them and I find myself unconsciously planning the steps to do it. I'm not going to live forever and I will live in Japan for even less time. While I'm here, I want to take full advantage of the chance I have. ¥ is the issue. If you have it in you to help with the cause, I'd really appreciate it if you hit the Buy me a Coffee button and leave some cold, hard cash. That button is the yellow one at the top right of the page, just under the Caveman's visage. To complete all of the 100, I would need to take dozens of day trips and probably a month's worth of long, road trips. The cost of gas, tolls, lodging, etc. adds up. I will, happily, continue providing you with information and graphics that hopefully help you on your mountain journeys or at least give you some vicarious thrill from far away.
Before I say goodbye . . .
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Caveman out
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