Mount Osore

Mount Osore does not refer just to the mountain, located in the center of Shimokita Peninsula, but also to the crater’s outer rim, which holds Lake Usori.
Mount Osore is one of the Three Holy Mountains of Japan.
(Holy Mountains: These mountains, while grand and timeless, also have a history of powerful eruptions, and it is said that Kami and spirits have inhabited them for many years.)

Long ago, people believed that the spirits of the deceased would go to Mount Osore.
There is a craggy area of the mountain covered in volcanic rock called “Jigoku,” (Hell) and at its end is “Gokuraku Hama,” Lake Usori’s shore, supposedly a land of perfect bliss inhabited by the Buddhist God Amidah.

Also, a spring that runs in the Mount Osore Highway is said to “rejuvenate you for 10 years with one cup, 20 years with two cups, and until death with three cups.”
Mount Osore also is home to a variety of hot springs, so it is also known for being a hot spring area!

In addition, this area is known for the famous psychic “Itako,” who is said to call forth the spirits of the dead and is able to commune with them. (Itako is only available during the Great Mount Osore Festival and the Mount Osore Autumn Worship.)