Tohoku’s mountains are ablaze with autumn color earlier than the Kansai or Kanto regions, giving hikers and “leaf peepers” a perfect jump on the season.

Officially called Risshakuji (temple of standing stones), the training ground for monks of the Tendai sect was founded here over eleven centuries ago.

The official name of this temple is Hojusan Risshaku-ji temple, but it is most commonly called Yamadera, which means “mountain temple”.