F E S T I V A L ／ FEST-119
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Osorezan Grand Festival
恐山大祭おそれざんたいさい
D A T E2026-07-20 — 2026-07-24
The annual festival at Osorezan Bodaiji in Mutsu, Aomori, held July 20th–24th. Buddhist services are conducted within a volcanic landscape long regarded as a gathering place for the spirits of the dead, and itako mediums perform 'kuchiyose' (channeling of the deceased) during the festival. Osorezan is counted among Japan's three great sacred mountains alongside Koya-san and Hiei-zan, and the ritual unfolds in a terrain where 'hell' and 'paradise' are dramatically juxtaposed.
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01The annual festival of one of Japan's three great sacred mountains
- 02Itako mediums channel the spirits of the dead during the festival
- 03Services in a volcanic landscape of sulfur vents and the Sai-no-Kawara stones
- 04An emblematic folk-religious site for reuniting with the dead
- 05Hosted by Mutsu City and Osorezan Bodaiji
D E E P D I V E
Deep Dive
R E F E R E N C E