Mt. Osore Bodaiji Temple
Mt. Osore Bodaiji Temple
4.5
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles113 reviews
Excellent
66
Very good
38
Average
9
Poor
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0

ndjordan1
Melbourne, Australia67 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2017 • Friends
Having read a great deal about the history and cultural significance of this wonderful place I was determined to visit here. Hired a car from near our accommodation in Mutsu and very easy drive. Suggest early arrival is best as all the tour buses were just starting to turn up as we were leaving. This is one of the 3 recognised spiritual sites in Japan and it deserves that reputation. The sense of sadness, melancholy and loss permeate the atmosphere along with the pungent odorous sulphur fumes. Curious sights abound including the melted coins on the rocks, the jiza with red scaves and caps, the beautiful white beach on the lake that contains no fish or other aquatic life due to the sulphur and the dozens of small temples and shrines that dot the landscape. Seriously - this is a must see location if you have any interest in Japanese culture or history.
Written 22 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

nekokatze
Virginia93 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2016 • Couples
This temple is well worth the journey for nature-lovers. The grounds offer spectacular views. Give yourself half a day to make the round trip with enough time to explore the area in peace. I would advise staying in nearby Mutsu, Japan.
There are lodging facilities (12,000 yen as of July 2016 per person per night including two meals). Speaking some Japanese is a definite boon here. There is also a dining facility and places to dip your feet in the healing, volcanic spring waters (right by the temple...the lake is considered holy, so don't desecrate it with your bare feet).
Not recommended for any visitors with significant mobility issues. Also, be careful exploring the further reaches of the temple grounds (on your way to the picturesque lakeshore)...this place is volcanicly active and there are bubbling hot springs covered with rock mounds. Don't let children stray and/or play around them unattended.
Written 30 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Madeline P
Aomori Prefecture, Japan2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2015 • Family
Learn the history of this Mountain before you visit. Lots of exploring and walking around to do. Many small natural geysers are spread around the area and it smells like sulfur
Written 13 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

swordfish24
Brisbane, Australia509 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2015 • Couples
The temple is located by a lake and surrounded by low hills. The smell of sulphur is in the air and there are wisps of smoke coming out of the ground. The vegetation around the temple has been killed off by the sulphur leaving a rocky undulating surface running down to the lake. There were yellow sulphur crystals and yellow- coloured water running into the lake.

Every little hillock and rise had a statue on it, jizos mostly but also others, and people who had come here to pray for lost children had piled up little stones around them and erected multi-coloured plastic windmill toys that spun around in the breeze. A pretty weird effect with the sound of the wind and the clattering of hundreds of windmills in this lonely,sacred and compelling place.

We found the red arched bridge that is said to be the bridge where dead souls cross over to the afterlife. Further, only the good souls can cross and if a bad soul tries, the bridge appears as an impenetrable marsh. We tried it out and had no problem with the marsh.

There is a souvenir shop at the temple.
Written 26 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrew1234
Doylestown, PA583 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2014 • Couples
Osorezan Bodaiji, i.e. Bodai Temple on Mt. Osore, was established over 1200 years ago by En'nin, a Japanese Buddhist priest. It honors the bodhisattva Jizo, whose virtue is linked to that of mother earth. Osorezan Bodaiji is a sacred place, and is said to be particularly precious for the grieving parents of deceased children.

The temple is located in an unpopulated sulphurous valley surrounded by eight wooded mountain peaks. It was a striking setting during our visit in the mid-summer, and must be downright spectacular at the height of the changing colors of mid-October.

The fields of decorated jizo statues located adjacent to the temple were beautiful. It was deeply poignant to view the offerings of food, stone piles, and children's pinwheels left by grieving visitors. The temple and its surrounding grounds imbued me with the sense of having visited a truly sacred space.
Written 9 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Mt. Osore Bodaiji Temple, Mutsu

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