祭概要

イタコの口寄せで、死者の霊と対面！　日本三大霊場の一つ「恐山」の例大祭

およそ1,200年にわたり、死者の魂が集うと信じられてきた霊場・恐山。夏の例大祭「恐山大祭」では、1日3回の法要・祈祷をはじめ、日によって施餓鬼会（せがきえ）の法要、大般若祈祷などが行われます。本堂周辺では、イタコに故人の霊を降ろす「口寄せ」をしてもらい、涙とともに死霊と対面する人々が絶えません。特に賑わうのは、7月22日の「山主上山式（さんしゅじょうざんしき）」。恐山菩提寺の僧侶や信者が駕籠（かご）行列を組んで山に登り、総門で駕籠を降りた山主が地蔵殿へと向かいます。

この世からあの世への掛け橋とされる「太鼓橋」。山主上山式では、この橋から菩提寺総門へ向かう駕籠行列が見られます。

Communicating with the departed through a spiritual medium!
A festival at Mount Osore, which is one of the three major holy sites in Japan.

Mount Osore is a holy mountain where, for roughly 1,200 years, spirits of the dead have been believed to gather. In addition to Buddhist sermons and prayers being held three times a day, there is also a sermon for feeding hungry ghosts and a reading of the Sutra of Great Wisdom, depending on the day, during the summertime Osorezan Taisai Festival. A medium performs a ritual of contact with spirits of the deceased near the Main Hall, and this lets many teary-eyed people communicate with their dearly departed. The “Sanshu-jozan-shiki” ceremony, which is held on July 22, is particularly popular. Monks and believers from Mount Osore Bodaiji Temple form a procession with people being carried on litters as they climb the mountain. The head priest exits his litter when reaching the Main Gate and heads for the Jizo Hall.

Taiko Bridge, which is the gateway between the land of the living and the land of the dead. A procession of litters headed toward the Main Gate of Bodaiji Temple from this bridge can be seen at the Sanshu-jozan-shiki ceremony.

恐山菩提寺
Mount Osore Bodaiji Temple

祭基本情報