Welcome to Hell

Coordinates: 41.322900, 141.098683

When my parents came to visit, we took them to Osorezan, otherwise known as Fear Mountain or the Gates of Hell, one of the three most holy places in Japan. The day was rainy and foggy, which I believe really added to the mood. Also, the autumn leaves were in full effect, making for an even more memorable experience.

So why the Gates of Hell? The story starts 1,200 years ago when a Japanese Buddhist priest, En'nin, was studying in China. During a dream, a holy monk appeared to him, telling him when he returned to Japan, he must find a sacred mountain that was a 30 day walk from Kyoto and build a statue of the bodhisattva (enlightened being) Jizo. 

This brought En'nin to Mount Osore in the Shimokita peninsula of northern Japan.

The mountain fit the description of what he was told in his dream, so En'nin built the statue of Jizo. But, what about this makes it the Gates of Hell?

The topography matches the description of Buddhist hell. There is a small stream running through town, representing the brook the deceased must cross on their way to the afterlife. How they cross the stream depends on what kind of person they were in their former life. They may simply walk across the bridge, or they may wade across snake-infested waters.

The shrine itself is surrounded by eight different peaks, representing the eight-petaled lotus blossom, the symbol of Buddha. The sand is almost white and hosts 108 boiling sulfuric ponds, representing the 108 worldly desires and the hells linked to each one.

People visit Osorezan for many different reasons. Some pray and leave offerings for deceased loved ones, hoping to help them cross into the afterlife. Others visit to deepen their faith.

When you visit Osorezan, you will see pinwheels everywhere. Jizo is also the guardian of children, so many of the pinwheels are for children who have passed.

The shrine itself is one of the most beautiful that I have seen so far in our travels. It is the ornate type of architecture one would expect to see in Japan.

My parents really enjoyed the whole experience. Unfortunately, it started raining and cut our visit short, but we still managed to get a fair amount of pictures.