Last Updated: Feb 4, 2023

Tohoku’s Sokushinbutsu

The Mummies of Northern Japan

Now that I have your collective attention with a sucker punch title like that, allow me to now state that we will no longer be using the term “mummy” for the rest of the article. While I mean no offense to the desiccated pharos of Egypt, many Buddhists and other lay adherents in Japan do have a gripe with the term. Thus, while it may be the easiest way to convey the concept of Sokushinbutsu to the uninitiated, I will avoid using the identifier out of respect for these devout practitioners. Some of the other literature out there does use the word synonymously though so keep this in mind if you do any further digging.

To kick things off, let’s first cover what exactly a Sokushinbutsu is. Essentially, you can think of these sacred figures as Japanese monks who have undergone the process of self-mummification, thereby making their bodies naturally preserved. To do so, they would need to begin their preparations while they were still actually alive. Though the ancient origins of this ultimate act of religious discipline are shrouded in mystery, many believe that it got its start in the Shingon sect of Buddhism. Allegedly, Kukai, the legendary founder of Mt. Koya, is said to have brought the art back with him from his studies in Tang China.