Visiting Osorezan, One of Japan’s Three Great Sacred Sites | Tohoku Journey by Public Transport Only

In this leg of my public transport-only journey across Japan’s Tohoku region, the destination was Osorezan—located in Aomori Prefecture.
Often referred to as one of Japan’s Three Great Sacred Places, Osorezan is a site steeped in spiritual and historical significance.

Check out my previous post here ↓

Crossing Tohoku, Japan by Public Transport: Exploring the Dragon Blue Underground Lakes of Ryusendo Cave in Iwate

On my Tohoku trip using only public transport, I headed to Ryusendo Cave in Iwate, Japan—home to stunning “Dragon Blue” underground lakes. Even as someone not fond of caves, I braved the adventure. ☺

pekotravel.com

2025.08.05

What is Osorezan?

Osorezan, along with Mount Hiei and Mount Koya, is considered one of Japan’s Three Great Sacred Sites.
According to local folklore, “when people die, their souls go to Osorezan.”
It’s described as “the closest place to the afterlife, where both hellish and heavenly landscapes unfold before you.”
（Excerpt from the Aomori Prefecture Official Tourism Website）
https://reijyo-osorezan.jp

We Couldn’t Decide Whether to Visit Osorezan

Just seeing the words Osorezan or One of Japan’s Three Great Sacred Sites made the place feel kind of intimidating to us.
We had loosely planned to visit—but also wondered… is it okay to go there without fully understanding its significance?
We went back and forth on it right up until the day.

When you Google “Osorezan,” you’ll find suggestions like “Osorezan ghost stories” or “People who shouldn’t go to Osorezan.”
The more we searched, the more unsure we felt about visiting.

But then we realized—it didn’t feel right to label it “scary” without seeing it for ourselves.
Our curiosity won out:
We wanted to witness with our own eyes what’s described as “the closest place to the afterlife, where hell and paradise unfold before you.”
So we decided to go.

How to Get to Osorezan

The day before, we traveled from Iwate to Hachinohe.
From there, we set our sights on the Shimokita Peninsula, where Osorezan is located.

There are two main ways to get to Osorezan:

• Car
• Bus(Shimokita Kōtsū Osorezan Line)

We took a train from Hachinohe Station to Shimokita Station, and from there, we boarded the bus bound for Osorezan.
By the way, Shimokita Station is the northernmost train station on Japan’s main island, Honshu.

Despite it being the Obon holiday, only a handful of passengers were on the bus.
As we climbed deeper into the mountains toward Osorezan, the forest grew thicker and the daylight dimmed inside the bus—even though it was still midday…

It was starting to feel… a little eerie.

It was starting to feel… a little eerie.

The Bus Suddenly Stopped

As we nervously made our way up the mountain road, the bus suddenly came to a stop—before we had even reached Osorezan.
！？！？

Having received the eternal youth powers from the spring water, we continued our journey toward Osorezan.

Then suddenly, traditional Japanese folk music started blasting through the bus speakers.
In the dimly lit bus, the loud echoes of old melodies only added to the eerie atmosphere.

And finally—we crossed the mythical Sanzu River, said to mark the boundary between this world and the next…
We had arrived at Osorezan.

Arrival at Osorezan

As soon as we stepped off the bus, the first thing that hit us was the sharp, stinging smell of sulfur.Combined with the overcast sky, the entire place had an intense, otherworldly atmosphere.

All around us, small pinwheels spun in the wind, making a soft clattering sound.
These pinwheels, we learned, are offerings placed in memory of mizuko—children who passed away before or shortly after birth.

As we continued walking along the rocky “Hell Tour” path, the gloomy atmosphere suddenly gave way to a peaceful view—Lake Usori, shimmering in pale blue, and Gokurakuhama, the “Beach of Paradise” said to represent the afterlife’s peaceful side.

To be honest, I had a pretty strong image of Osorezan as a scary place before going.
But now that I’ve been there, I’m truly glad I made the visit.

Standing on that sacred ground, what I felt most was a quiet atmosphere of prayer—
and a deep sense of respect for those who have passed away.

Osorezan may be one of those rare places where, through facing “death,”
you’re gently encouraged to reflect on “life.”

No Itako Today

When people think of Osorezan, they often think of Itako—spiritual mediums traditionally associated with the site.
I was curious to see if any were present that day, but it turns out they weren’t.

After looking it up, I found that these days, Itako only come to Osorezan during special events like the Osorezan Grand Festival in summer and the Autumn Pilgrimage.

恐山のイタコ（いたこ） | 下北ナビ

simokita.org

After exploring the site, we took the bus and train back to Hachinohe.
Just a heads-up—the Osorezan bus line runs very infrequently, so be sure to check the schedule in advance! 💦

Dinner at Hasshoku Center

We headed to Hasshoku Center to grab some dinner, just barely making it in before closing—
they shut their doors at 6:00 p.m., and we slid in at 5:00. Close call!

My sister went all out with a sashimi set meal piled high with fresh fish🐠

There’s a bus that runs between Hachinohe Station and Hasshoku Center,and I found out there’s even a super budget-friendly “100-yen bus” route.
For travelers, that’s a pretty sweet deal!💡
https://www.849net.com/access/bus100_202404.pdf

Sunny-Weather Girl Defeated — Lightning Strikes a Convenience Store

After stuffing ourselves at Hachinohe’s Hasshoku Center, we headed back to our hotel.
Since there wasn’t a bus stop right in front of it, we planned to get off a little further away and walk the rest of the way.
As the bus rocked along, I thought, “Hmm? The sky looks suspicious…”
Suddenly, it started pouring buckets, and thunder began rumbling closer and closer.
…Wait, aren’t I supposed to be a “sunny-weather girl”—
the kind of person who somehow always gets good weather wherever she goes?!

Just as we stepped off the bus and started walking,
BOOM!!!!
A lightning bolt struck very close by.

I panicked！！！！！！

My sister collapsed in fear, while I stood there, stunned.
Thunder kept rumbling, and the store stayed dark.
At that point, I couldn’t help thinking—maybe this was divine punishment for visiting Mt. Osore with such a casual attitude.

I mean… wasn’t this trip way too eventful???

After drinking the “stay young until you die” miracle spring water at Mt. Osore,
I somehow ended up having a life-shortening experience when lightning struck the convenience store we were hiding in 💦

And the very next day, we took the ferry from Hachinohe Station to our final destination—Hokkaido.

Ferry to Hokkaido… or so I thought. Turns out, it was a voyage straight from hell.

I had booked the ferry all excited, stocked up on snacks, even splurged on a private cabin.
I was imagining soaking in the large public bath while gazing at the Tsugaru Strait… pure bliss, right?

Well, Mother Nature had other plans. The rough weather made the ship violently sway.
Snacks? Forget about it.
Bath? Canceled.
Even getting to the bathroom was a battle.

I’m usually pretty resistant to motion sickness, but I ended up full-on Merlion mode all the way to Tomakomai.
Still, watching the Koshien baseball game on TV in between, while in Merlion mode… was strangely memorable.

A trip to Osorezan that even toyed with my “always sunny” luck.
I don’t have any spiritual sensitivity, so I didn’t have any paranormal encounters or sudden streak of bad luck afterwards.
If I had to point out something unusual, it would be that—despite usually being a “sunny girl”—the day I visited Osorezan and the day after were both eerily stormy.

And maybe one more thing: a few years later, as I’m writing this very article, I’ve come down with a fever for the first time in ages and am stuck in bed.

Osorezan wasn’t just frightening, nor was it like any ordinary tourist spot.
It was a place that felt as though it existed somewhere between this world and the next—mysterious, thought-provoking, and unforgettable.