Pages

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Osorezan - 恐山

恐 = fear
山 = mountain
恐山 = Fear Mountain


DSC_1978

Yep, a place in Japan called "Fear Mountain".

DSC_2001_2_3

Osorezan came highly recommended. It's one of the three holiest sites in Japan, founded in the 9th century by Buddhist priest En'nin. Chillin in Kyoto having a dream, En'nin was shown a place with 108 boiling pools of sulfur and mud, each corresponding to one of the 108 worldly desires, each linked to hell itself. The landscape wasn't just gloom and doom though, the 8 mountains and lake were so beautiful that they were nothing less than an image of Paradise, a blooming lotus flower. En'nin walked 30 days from Kyoto, found his dream spot, built a statue of the Bodhisattva Jizo, and the rest is Buddhist history.

DSC_1986_7_8

DSC_2022_3_4Enhancer

If you come here July 20th, blind mediums will channel the dead for you. No blind mediums on July 27th though. Missed it by a couple of days.

DSC_1989_90_91

There are some onsens inside the temple itself. Don't forget your towel. At 6am, I had the whole place to myself.

DSC_2004_5_6

DSC_2046_7_8Enhancer

DSC_1995_6_7

Living in Tokyo, one can forget how amazing the religious sites in Japan are. Tokyo is chock full of temples and shrines, but they are nestled between crumbling high rise apartments and messy power cables in most cases. Something like Osorezan is well...

DSC_1998_1999_2000

... amazing.

DSC_2007_8_9

DSC_2010_1_2

DSC_2013_4_5

DSC_2016_7_8

DSC_2019_20_21



Next time: I missed the ferry from Oma to Hakkodate.

3 comments:

  1. I visited Osore-zan a few years ago, and I agree with you, it was amazing. It's not surprising the Japanese always thought of this place as the gateway to hell!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for commenting Kaminoge. Your kid is hella cute.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your pictures and your blogs are awesome!!!

    ReplyDelete