On the way from the main gate to the Deva gate of Risshaku-ji Temple, you can find the stone monument called “Semi-zuka” on the left side like in the photo. Basho Matsuo who is one of famous Japanese haiku poet wrote in his travelogue, “the Narrow Road to the Deep North”,
“There is a mountain temple called Risshaku-ji Temple in Yamagata which Jikaku Daishi established. This is quite quiet area. People recommended me to visit and see here and I came from Obanazawa. The distance from Obanazawa to here is about 28 km. Still before dark and I reserved a lodge in the foot of the mountain. Then, I climbed up the mountain to see temple halls. There are many strangely shaped rocks and green trees in the mountain. There are also rocks moss grows spent thousand years. The doors of the temple halls are closed and I can hear no sound here. I kept climbing up the mountain and worshipped the temple. Now, I feel purified.”
Haiku Poem : Shizukasa-ya Iwa-ni Shimiiru Semi-no-koe
English : Deep silence, the shrill of cicadas, seeps into rocks.
Basho wrote this haiku poem on a strip of fancy paper and buried under the ground. He requested to build a stone monument on it. The stone monument is called “Semi-zuka”.
Statue of Basho Matsuo in Risshaku-ji Temple,
Basho Matsuo
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