A challenging Buddhist ascetic practice held on the Japan's largest lake.

I introduce a unique Buddhist ascetic practice performed at a temple situated on a cliff overlooking Lake Biwa, the country's largest lake.  A ritual you'll find nowhere else in Japan.

This unique ritual takes place every year on August 1st at Isakiji-temple located in Ohmi-Hachiman City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.   As a matter of fact, I saw this ascetic practice two years ago, but I just took a quick look from the side of the temple on the cliff.　However, this year I fortunately won the lottery to determine who would ride on a fishing boat, so I was able to see the moment the ascetic monks jumped into the lake up close.

An ascetic monk jumping from a beam 7 meters above the surface of the lake.

A thick wooden beam, approximately 13 meters long, projected horizontally into Lake Biwa. 

This is a small temple built over a cliff called "Sao-tobi-do". Many people have gathered there to watch the moment of jumping. The main temple and other facilities exist in the back.

A priest wearing the distinctive clothing known as “yamabushi” leads the monks who will be jumping this time. Yamabushi blows an instrument made from a conch shell held in the right hand to communicate or signal each other while in the mountains.

Before jumping in, the high priest purifies the beam with the sacred water. Standing in the back are the 12 monks who will be jumping this time. They have already completed 100 days of severe Buddhist training on Mount Hiei where the head temple of this religion locates.

The monk cautiously moves toward the tip of the beam.

He made up his mind and jumped in.

A huge splash went up. Afterward, he swam back to the cliff and climbed up by holding onto the rope.

Another monk is jumping in.

They are watching the moment taking a ride on a fishing boat provided by the local fishing cooperative. Actually, I got on another fishing boat.

Many people took a sightseeing cruise chartered by a travel agency.

Some people arrived on SUPs. They even bring their dogs along.

That is the easiest way, and they can get close to the cite.

According to the web site of this temple, the act of an ascetic monk walking to the very tip of a beam and then jumping into the lake is known as “sashin no gyō” (the practice of self-sacrifice)—that is, a form of ascetic practice in which one sacrifices oneself to seek the Buddhist path in order to repay a debt of gratitude or to save others.