Osore Mountain —- “Mountain of Fear.”
Though not really a mountain, this area in Aomori prefecture is the traditional gateway to Hell for Japanese people. It is a volcanic wasteland with many sulpher springs that give the place the smell of rotten eggs. Many people do visit the temple and surroundings here, but only in the summer time as the area is snowy and cold in the winter months.
According to Japanese tradition, Mount Osore — literally "Dread Mountain" — is the gateway to Hell, where souls pause on their way to the underworld. A barren volcanic wasteland of howling winds and bubbling sulphur pits, the origin of the legend is easy to understand.
The Bodai-ji ("Bodai Temple") presides over it all and organizes the area's main event, the twice-yearly Itako Taisai festival. The grand festival is held over a period of five days beginning on July 20. In a ritual called kuchiyose (口寄せ), blind mediums known as itako summon the souls of the dead and deliver messages in their voices
Most visitors arrive by bus from Mutsu. A rarely-used road (not served by public transport) also links to the Yagen Valley.
Another alternative is to hitchhike to the temple from Mutsu; locals should be able to point out the access road, which is marked by signs in only a few scattered places. During vacation periods, traffic to the temple is fairly heavy and finding a ride is not too difficult.
Though not really a mountain, this area in Aomori prefecture is the traditional gateway to Hell for Japanese people. It is a volcanic wasteland with many sulpher springs that give the place the smell of rotten eggs. Many people do visit the temple and surroundings here, but only in the summer time as the area is snowy and cold in the winter months.
According to Japanese tradition, Mount Osore — literally "Dread Mountain" — is the gateway to Hell, where souls pause on their way to the underworld. A barren volcanic wasteland of howling winds and bubbling sulphur pits, the origin of the legend is easy to understand.
The Bodai-ji ("Bodai Temple") presides over it all and organizes the area's main event, the twice-yearly Itako Taisai festival. The grand festival is held over a period of five days beginning on July 20. In a ritual called kuchiyose (口寄せ), blind mediums known as itako summon the souls of the dead and deliver messages in their voicesMost visitors arrive by bus from Mutsu. A rarely-used road (not served by public transport) also links to the Yagen Valley.
Another alternative is to hitchhike to the temple from Mutsu; locals should be able to point out the access road, which is marked by signs in only a few scattered places. During vacation periods, traffic to the temple is fairly heavy and finding a ride is not too difficult.
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