Godaidō (Pavilion of the Five Masters)

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 while walking up.

A gorgeous view after climbed a thousand steps. Really worth to visit.

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 explanations.

A beautiful temple complex on a cliff of a mountain. The scenery from the observation deck is gorgeous. It was worth the effort to climb the 1000 stairs.

Absolutely stunning in the winters, and takes barely a 30 min hike to reach up here.