Mount Osore
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Mount Osore is the name of a Buddhist temple and folk religion pilgrimage destination in the center of remote Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of northern Japan.
Grounds of Bodai-ji
The main hall of Osorezan Bodaiji temple in autumn.
Sōmon gate of Bodai-ji
Temple complex buildings at Osorezan, in autumn.
Itako
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Itako, also known as ichiko or ogamisama, are blind women who train to become spiritual mediums in Japan. Training involves severe ascetic practices, after which the woman is said to be able to commun
Mount Osore
…Sanzu River, a river that deceased souls need to cross on their way to the afterlife. A unique feature of Bodai-ji is the presence of mediums known as itako who claim to summon the souls of the dead and deliver messages in their voices. These mediums were traditionally blind and had to receive extensive…
An itako at the autumn Inako Taisai festival at Mount Osore, Aomori Prefecture, Japan.
A statue of Jizo at Osorezan