[Episode 4: Dismemberment Murder] Uncovering the Night Face of a Temple for Unborn Children. Its Most Terrifying and Saddest Side.

Episode 4 of KARASU CHANNEL, a record shot at night at Manganji Temple in the mountains of Azumino, Nagano Prefecture.

Manganji is a Shingon Buddhist temple of the Koyasan school, said to date back to around 725. A covered bridge at the entrance, called Okyō-bashi, carries sutra text on the underside of its planks, and the Jizō hall holds more than 500 Jizō statues. It is known as a temple for memorial services for children lost before or soon after birth, and it still accepts such services today. It is a living place of worship.

This installment records the grounds at night, which look different from the daytime. We have no intention of mocking anything sacred, and we limit ourselves to an introduction that respects the heavy theme of this place. Some rumors online could hurt the people concerned, so we do not treat them as fact.

What to Watch For

Note how differently the same grounds look by day and by night. Manganji is a quiet place of worship open to the public in the daytime, yet online it is said that “the air changes at night.” The title uses the sensational words “dismemberment murder,” but as far as our research goes, we have found no record of any such specific murder connected to Manganji. Please take it as a sensational expression used for dramatic effect.

Our Take

In our view, the fear people attach to Manganji comes less from ghost stories than from the weight of memorial services for lost children. A row of more than 500 Jizō statues makes the total amount of grief visible. Prayer for a life that never came into the world is properly an object of sorrow and prayer, not terror. That it is received as “eeriness” may be where rumors find room to grow. This is speculation only. Miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, and the loss of a child are unrelated to personal blame or curses. If you are struggling, please do not carry it alone. In Japan, the Yorisoi Hotline (0120-279-338, free, 24 hours) offers support.