folk beliefs

Mount Osore

[Aomori Prefecture] Mount Osore, one of Japan's three major sacred sites, located in Mutsu City

Mount Osorezan is a sacred mountain located in Tanabu, Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, and is considered one of the "Three Great Sacred Sites of Japan," along with Mount Koya and Mount Hiei

Scenery of Mount Osore
Scenery of Mount Osore

Mount Osore is an outer rim of a volcano that towers over Lake Usori, a caldera lake formed by ancient volcanic activity. Due to these topographical features, the area is covered with rugged, exposed rock faces, naturally gushing hot springs, and the strong smell of sulfur permeates the air

One of Japan's three major sacred sites

For these reasons, Mount Osore has long been likened to the afterlife where the dead go, and has been revered as a place of faith where memorial services for the dead can be held

Osorezan Bodaiji Temple
Osorezan Bodaiji Temple

The center of worship at Mount Osore is a temple called Bodaiji , and its main temple is Entsuji Temple on Mount Kichijozan, a Soto Zen temple located in the city center of Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture .

This temple is said to have been founded in the early Heian period when Jikaku Daishi Ennin, guided by a dream, carved and enshrined a statue of Jizo Bodhisattva, and it has since become a center of mountain worship within the Tendai sect

Entsu-ji Temple, on the other hand, was founded by a Soto Zen monk under the patronage of the Nanbu clan, who ruled the area from their castle in Neshiro, Hachinohe City. It restored Osorezan Bodai-ji Temple, which had fallen into decline due to war, and it came to be recognized as the main temple thereafter

Jizo Hall of the River of the Dead
Jizo Hall of the River of the Dead

Within the grounds of the current Osorezan Bodaiji Temple, there are spots with ominous names such as Sai-no-Kawara , where children who died young are commemorated, and Chi-no-ike Jigoku , where pregnant women who died are commemorated. Around these spots, you can see windmills, memorial tablets, and various other offerings brought by bereaved families for memorial purposes.

Paradise Beach on Lake Usori
Paradise Beach on Lake Usori

Around Lake Usori lies a sandy beach called Gokuraku-hama (Paradise Beach), a tranquil spot amidst the desolate landscape that evokes images of hell.

Osorezan's bathhouse
Osorezan's bathhouse

In addition to the main hall where Jizo Bodhisattva is enshrined, the temple grounds also have several medicinal baths where worshippers are free to soak in the hot springs. During the summer festival and autumn pilgrimage period at Mount Osore, itako, or spiritual mediums, gather to perform kuchiyose (speaking spirit mediumship) in a hut to summon the spirits of the dead

Mount Osore <Information>

  • Name: Osorezan
  • Address: Ohatacho, Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture, 039-4401
  • Phone number:
  • Official URL:

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