Osore-zan
| Osore-zan | ||
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| height | 879 m | |
| location | Aomori Prefecture , Japan | |
| Coordinates | 41 ° 16 '44 " N , 141 ° 7' 12" E | |
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| Type | Stratovolcano | |
| Last eruption | 1787 | |
The Osore-zan , also Osore-yama ( Japanese 恐 山 , dt. Fear Mountain ), is a mountain massif of volcanic origin up to 879 m high on the Shimokita peninsula in the northeast part of the Aomori prefecture in Japan . It is located at the northeastern end of the main island of Honshu in the Shimokita Hanto National Park .
On the banks of the crater lake Usoriyama-ko ( 宇曽利山湖 ) presumably is of Ennin founded Temple Entsū-ji ( 円通寺 ) from the 9th century.
There are two traditions about the naming: According to one, the name comes from the time of the thermal baths at Osore-zan from the terrifying smells of sulfur compounds. The other says Osore was derived from the Ainu language from the word usor for bay . The Usor mountain actually made a terrifying impression on the Japanese coming from the south.
The mountain is considered an image or entrance to the Buddhist underworld and is sacred to Japanese shamans . During the annual meeting at the end of July it should be possible to connect with the deceased by means of itako (Japanese shamans). Accordingly, most of the relatives of the deceased visit the area of the mountain. Countless small piles of stones are left behind by visitors in the belief that the souls of dead children are doomed to pile up stones in the border area between this world and the hereafter in order to be redeemed. However, they cannot finish this work alone, as their piles of stones are repeatedly knocked over by evil demons. Many of the small figures and toys left behind are also intended for deceased children.
This and the nature of the soil in the area create an eerie aura of the mountain: in the area you come across larger, animal and plant-free water holes in the light, chalky forest floor.
Osore-zan is considered to be one of the three spirit mountains (Osore-zan, Kōya-san , Hiei-zan ) and one of the three spirit sites in Japan (Osore-zan, Haku-san , Tateyama ). It is not a typical tourist destination.
Web links
- Osore-zan in the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution (English)
- Photos on the photo website in English
- A Quicktime film ( memento from December 3, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) from the early 1990s on the Japanese website of the Ethnographic Museum Ōsaka shows a visitor procession in Hell Valley , at the blood pond and on the beach of utter calm ; also Itako , which reproduce the voices of the deceased, as well as comments and impressions from relatives of the deceased.
- English-language Wikivoyage