Osorezan 恐山 There was pretty much only one reason why I wanted to go up to the Shimokita peninsula - that was to visit Osorezan. Osorezan has been called many things: Cape Fear, Fear Mountain, the Portal to Hell... in its past, it was a place that was inspired awe and terror. A space commingling the base emotions of the human soul. In the present day, Osorezan is regarded as one of the three most sacred places in Tohoku alongside Dewasan Zan (the Three Holy Mountains of Dewa) in Yamagata prefecture and Kinkasan island just off the coast of Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture. The allure of being able to visit these sacred and holy spaces caught my attention and curiosity, I knew I had to go. At Osorezan, I was able to observe the different threads that were spun into the tapestry of this legend of a mountain. It is part tourist attraction as the 500 yen entrance fee proclaims, it is part working temple as the welcomeness to have the general public engage in Buddhist ceremonies made evident, it is also otherworldly and alien as the sulfuric landscape and pristine lake collide with each other. If you go to Osorezan, be prepared to wander and stumble around volcanic landscapes; be prepared to to witness sadness as I did when I saw family members mourning the loss of a recently deceased family member; and be prepared to be still and bathe in the beautiful dread.
