We wandered round the various Shinto temples on the top of Hagurosan (Haguro-mountain) - the building on the right has the thickest thatched roof I can remember seeing.

Large Shinto sites like this are on standard "pilgrimage" routes, and here the pilgrims have to trek up the long stone stairway to the top of the mountain. Since we were already at the top, I suggested the rest of the family might like to amble down, and I took the car to meet them at the bottom. Turns out there are 2446 steps altogether. I came a little way up to meet them, and took a couple more photos, of the bridge and a pagoda. The latter is quite impressive, surrounded by huge sugi (cryptomeria, or Japanese cedar) trees.

This was also one of the places visited by Basho, who I think of as Japan's answer to William Wordsworth. He trekked round Japan, writing little haiku (5-7-5 syllables) about various wild places he saw.

Here's a link, but you need Japanese support to read it properly.
Click here for a map showing Basho's route here. If you follow the "Dewa-sanzan" link (the sixth one on the right of the map, or click here) you can see a few more pictures, and a couple of Basho's poems.