Bone Buddhas at Isshin-ji Temple

Founded in 1185, Isshin-ji in the Tennōji ward of Osaka is known as a unique temple, especially for its funerary practices. Its popularity grew in the 19th century when word spread that it would accept the deceased regardless of their Buddhist sect or religion, and people without known relatives were often buried here.

Its cemetery had run out of room by 1887 and the temple came up with an unusual solution: to grind the bones and ashes, mix them with cement, and mould the compound into a Buddha statue. The first Bone Buddha was made from the remains of over 50,000 collected between 1851 and 1887.

The original Bone Buddhas, which counted six in total, were destroyed in the bombings of Osaka in 1945. After the war, the temple resumed its tradition in 1949, mixing what was left of the six Bone Buddhas and the newly collected remains of 220,000 deceased people to create a new Bone Buddha. The temple has since made seven more Bone Buddhas, one for each decade.

The unique burial practice of the Bone Buddha is designated as an Intangible Cultural Property by the City of Osaka. The temple has now interred the remains of two million people in total.

In addition to the Bone Buddhas, the temple is home to a large cemetery as well as centuries-old funerary pagodas, most notably the tomb of feudal lord Honda Tadatomo.

A vassal of the Tokugawa shogunate, Lord Honda fought well in the Siege of Osaka but got drunk during the 1614 winter campaign and was forced to retreat. Rebuked by Tokugawa, he cut off alcohol in the 1615 summer siege, encamping at Isshin-ji, and perished valiantly. Due to this legend, Lord Honda’s tomb is believed to bring good luck to those wishing to go sober.