China:
Beijing: Tiananmen
Square contains the mausoleum of Mao Zedong. Inside is the
preserved body of Chairman Mao. Visitors can line up and walk past the body of
the former head of state.
Ürümchi: The
Provincial Museum (Xinjiang Province) has an excellent collection of
well-preserved, Caucasian 2000-4000 year old mummies. (Thank you, Dave Roland).
See the reviews of two great books about these mummies: The
Mummies of Ürümchi or The
Tarim Mummies.
Japan:
In Japan you will find a number of Buddhist
mummies and many mummies of strange or even mythical creatures. Are they real?
That's for you to decide. For some photos of Japanese mummies, visit this
page at Softpedia.
Aomori: The
Hachinohe Museum displays the mummy of a Tengu. According to
softpedia.com, this is a "sort of an air god, a personification that
resembles a man and a bird. While the skull is clearly humanoid, it has
feathers, and the feet are those of a bird. The artifact originated in the
southern parts of the country, but was passed from one family to another until
it reached its current location. Some say that the mummy is that of Nambu
Nobuyori, a clan leader that ruled vast lands in the mid-18th century, but the
claims have yet to be verified."
Imari: The
Matsuura Brewery displays a kappa (or river demon) mummy.
Iwate: The Yūzanji
Temple displays a Raijū mummy. This supernatural creature was
believed to live in clouds and could throw lightning at Earth during
thunderstorms.
Kanazawa: The
Zengyōji Temple features the mummy of a three-headed
demon-like creature. According to softpedia.com, "Two adjoined faces
adorn the front of the skull, while a third one is located at the back, in
what looks like something that has come out of a childhood nightmare. Today,
the creature is shrined at the temple, and is revered as a sacred being,
despite the fact that it made its discoverer sick and that the man only got
cured when the mummy was brought to the temple."
Osaka: The
Zuiryūji Temple exhibits a Kappa (or river demon) mummy.
Usa: The Daijōin
Temple exhibits a demon mummy. According to the Phantoms &
Monsters blog, "The mummy is said to have once been the treasured
heirloom of a noble family. But after suffering some sort of misfortune, the
family was forced to get rid of it. The demon mummy changed owners several
times before ending up in the hands of a Daijōin temple parishioner in
1925. After the parishioner fell extremely ill, the mummy was suspected of
being cursed. The parishioner quickly recovered from his illness after the
mummy was placed in the care of the temple. It has remained there ever since.
Today the enshrined demon mummy of Daijōin temple is revered as a sacred
object.
Yamagata: The Dainichibo
Temple features a Buddhist mummy.
