Traditions and customs

Shinzan's Ten Thousand Buddhas

More than 10,000 Jizo Bodhisattvas cover the walls of the Shinzan Mantaibutsu Statue [Oga City, Akita Prefecture]

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Namahage is a visiting deity that is said to exist around the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture .

Shinzan Shrine the center of this legend , hosts the annual Namahage Purple Lantern Festival , attracting tourists from all over the country. However, what may not be widely known is that along the way there is a strange hall that is rare even in Japan.

As the name suggests, "Shinzhan Mantaibutsu" is a temple that houses over 10,000 Buddhist statues

Shinzan's Mantaibutsu can be found on the driving along the main road known as the Namahage Line , which connects National Route 101 to Oga Onsenkyo turning at the Namahage Tower

Shinzan's Ten Thousand Buddhas (1)

The exterior is just like any other temple you'd see in many areas, so it's not particularly eye-catching

It the Namahage Purple Lantern Festival , and many cars were passing through this road on their way to Shinzan Shrine, but there was not a single other car stopping here except for my own. That's how "normal-looking" it is.

Shinzan's Ten Thousand Buddhas (2)

Even when I got closer, there was nothing unusual about it. And even though it was daytime, the inside of the hall was pitch black, so I couldn't see anything at this point

Although I have occasionally visited shrines, I have not had much experience of "entering" a hall like this, so I approached with some nervousness. Then, as the inside gradually became visible, my first impression might honestly be best described as "creepy."

Shinzan's Ten Thousand Buddhas (3)

I clasped my hands together and cautiously entered the hall, where I found that the entire interior, from every side to near the ceiling, was filled with small wooden carved Buddha statues

Shinzan's Ten Thousand Buddhas (4)

The place is listed on Oga City's tourist website, and it's certainly not a place you should avoid or a place where strange happenings occur, but the sight was so bizarre that, combined with the fact that I was alone, my first reaction was one of fear

Shinzan's Ten Thousand Buddhas (5)

According to the legend on the information board at the entrance

In 1714, during the mid-Edo period, a monk named Fumyo built a hall to mourn the unfortunate death of his disciple and to commemorate the many children who had died at a young age, and carved a statue of Jizo Bodhisattva, a Buddha who saves the souls of children.To this day, the statue is devoutly worshipped in the area, with people praying for good health, a good catch, safe childbirth, and more

also mentioned in the book Spring Breeze of Oga by the Edo period travel writer Sugae Masumi, who writes that it is "a wooden Buddha carved by Fumyo at the Kongo Doji Hall of Kohanji Temple in Mayama (now Mayama Shrine)."

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT
[Part 2] Masumi Sugae's Walk around the Oga Peninsula - Fascinated by the strange rock formations along the coast [Akita Prefecture]
https://jp.neft.asia/archives/36715
Based on the Edo period travel journal "Oga Gofu" by Sugae Masumi (1754-1829), this second installment of "Tracing the Oga Peninsula as Sugae Masumi Walked" compares the Edo period and the present day. The book continues Sugae's journey around the Oga Peninsula, covering the northern coast in "Oga no Harukaze" and the west coast in "Oga no Suzukaze" and "Oga no Shimakaze." This article references manuscripts held by the Akita Prefectural Museum, the National Archives of Japan, and the National Diet Library, as well as a modern translation published in 2000. Unless otherwise noted, dates from the Edo period are those recorded by Masumi (using the lunar calendar). Reference: Akita Prefectural Museum, Sugae...
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Later, Kongo Dojido was moved to its current location following the Meiji era's separation of Shinto and Buddhism, and came to be known as "Shizan's Ten Thousand Buddhas."

Shinzan's Ten Thousand Buddhas

In the small hall, measuring approximately 5.4m square, there are approximately 12,000 to 3,000 Jizo Bodhisattva statues, all about 20cm tall, carved from cedar wood. A hall with this many Buddhist statues is apparently quite rare, even across the country

As it is the land of Namahage, there is also a statue of Jizo Bodhisattva covered in straw that is thought to have fallen from the Namahage's kede (a woven straw haori worn by Namahage), which is said to be a talisman for good health and safety

It's not a sight you see often, so if you're visiting the Namahage area, it might be worth a little detour. When you do, be sure to put your hands together and remember to pray!

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