Living Mummies Sakata - self mummified monks Yamagata ,Kaikoji Temple .

So last time i started my post about hitch hiking , but by the end of the hiching story i already had too much information .. Hmm .
So here comes the post about actual Living mummies and geishas & Maiko in Sakata , Yamagata Prefecture ! 
As soon as i arrived in Sakata i was looking for mummies , i had map in English , but i still could not figure out location .. Asked stranger and got to the temple in few minutes . Its not a main temple where mummies are located . When you place temple , there is other building on left with windows and bell .. Thats the one .. Ring bell and lady will come to meet you !
 Charge is 400 Yen and it lasts about 10 minutes , but if you feel like staying extra and chilling there ..No problem ,lady will just leave you alone with mummies and chill ! 

So whats up with there living mummies ??! ? Over 250 years old ! 
Term mummy (Miira ) usually refers to a corpse that remains intact after death, 
They are in Kaikoji temple . These mummies comes from mountain ascetics. 
  
Kaikoji temple belongs to the Shingon school of Japanese Buddhism .
In the museum there are 2 corpses . These corpses are believed to be buddhas in their real bodies . (It looks incredible .. Their skin is still there and it does not feel human anymore ., but it have a certain vibe about it , maybe the facts that its displayed on the sacret ground and people are praying to them is the certain vibe )

  Durring EDO Perriod (1600-1868 ) these to ascetics were abbots of this temple .The flesh  icons of Kaikoji are sitting upright , in the lotus position (Cross- legged , with each other foot a top the opposite thigh ) In moder -day Japan there are only sixteen flesh - icons in a seated position .(Very rare ).

• Person on the left is Vunerable Chukai .
  

( First abbot after the restoration of Kaikoji .He died in 1755 (58 years old ) He was born in city of Tsuruoka . He was a soldier until he become Mt. Yudono ascetic.

• Person on the right is Vunerable Enmyokai 
  

Discipline of Chukai (Person on the left ) .He become 9th abbot of Kaikoji .Born in pleasant family n village Shonai .Died age 55 years old.

At age of 50`s they both decided to go to Mount Yudono(sacred mountain "Should not speak or inquire "  .To practise ascesis  for becoming flesh icon .Because of Japan climate corpses would disolve very fast , so ascetics follow special diet to keep flesh from disolving . Diet would be starvation like , they would eat things like grains , beans , millet to make body as close as possible with only flesh and bone .Its said that Vunerable chukai follow this diet for 8years and Vunerable Enmyokai for 5 .If ascetic died  during this process it was considered a failure .

When ascetics reached limits and final stage of process they had to move on to next stage - be put under ground - " Suspended animation under ground " (Dochu nyujo ) .Place would be about 3 meters  under ground , ascetics would enter and stay lotus position while fasting and reciting sacred scriptures .Bamboo pole would provide air .

When it seemed that that the ascetic had ceased chanting (They have died )they would remove bamboo , open cell and check the posture of the corpse .Then they would put corpse back and seal this special sepulcher fr 3 thousand days (Just over 8 years ).At the end of this time they would take corpse out and it would look as it looks now ! 


Many ask if mummies displayed in Kaikoji in Sakata are real .. Answer is YEs - they are . Skin have been covered in resin and its kept under protective glass to preserve it .

!!!!!   Clothing of flesh icons ( these monks ) are changed every 12 years , during the year of OX .The old clothing is cut into small peaces and inserted in little protective talismans (Omamori ) . Then they are sold to pilgrims and visitors to the temple .

It is said that flesh icon have the power to answer prayers ! When you express your desire to the flesh-icon , you monologue will transform into dialogue with the ascetic. 





Geisha & Maiko House :
I decided that once im in Japan i mst visit thi place , so i did . over all its a beautiful buiding . Entranbce to the show is 1000 yen . You receive 3 dances (2 geishas dancing and lady singing and playing traditional instrument ) and after can take a photo with Geisha ! They dont let you explore buiding or take pictures dutirn the show .
They offer ather activities too . Can have tea party too! Can pay cash  or Pasmo , Suica card , maybe some other ways , but im not sure .

Then i was finished with touring in Sakata .

On the way back i met very interesting family . Mom - Emiko was dentist , Juiko (daughter ) was artists , Aiko 2nd daughet was working in Banking . Our conversation was on paper a lot . But they spoke ENglish ! 
Lovely fzmily , brought  me very far distance .

Thats it .. My trip to Sakata and back by hicthing ! Was an interesting experience !