The worship of sokushinbutsu, the mummified bodies of Buddhist ascetics, dates back centuries in Japan. First arising in the late fourteenth century, the practice continues at a handful of temples ...

There are English and Japanese versions of the manual, so even foreigners who cannot read Japanese can aim for Sokushinbutsu with confidence. Inside the card are cards with five grains such as ...

The sacred mountains of Yamagata are home to 13 sokushinbutsu, who are believed to be in a state of deep meditation between life and death. Kōbō Daishi (also known as Kūkai) studied esoteric ...

Top image: Daijuku Bosatsu Shinnyokai-Shonin. The most famous practitioners of self-mummification to modern readers are the sokushinbutsu—the Buddhas in the flesh—whose bodies have been found ...

But what won't be on your list is visiting the mummified bodies of the sokushinbutsu. It's one of the world's strangest tourist attractions, and certainly something to write home about.

In February 2022, a video supposedly showing a 163-year-old man was widely shared on social media. As the video went viral, many people claimed he was a monk who was practicing Sokushinbutsu, a ...

What you may not have added to your itinerary is visiting the mummified bodies of the sokushinbutsu. But amend that bucket list, kids, because this could be one of the world’s strangest tourist ...

Prepare to have your mind blown as we dive into the captivating world of sokushinbutsu, the ancient Japanese practice of Buddhist self-mummification that has spread throughout Asia. Here are five ...