They are called 即身仏 (sokushinbutsu), unlike the Egyptian or other mummies called ミイラ (miira, word originally from Portuguese).

I was told that these were Buddhist monks who fasted for years, losing as much body mass as possible so as to mummify, until death came. Needless to say that it must have been horribly painful, except of course if one is a Buddhist monk and "suffering" is just an illusion to you.

These mummies are still considered by some locals as gods. But let me relativise, as Japan is the country of the millions Shinto gods, where emperors or exceptional men all have divine status. Nothing to do with the omniscient and omnipotent monotheistic view of God.

Nowadays the practice of sokushinbutsu is forbidden by law, as it is a form of suicide (and it is therefore punishable by life emprisonment : ).

I was told that most Japanese mummies were to be found around the Yamagata prefecture (Northern Japan), and maybe not more than 6 of them exist.

I have searched for you and here is what I found :

This one is in the 湯殿山総本寺 (yudonosan souhonji ?) temple, probably of the Shingon sect.



Here is the resident of the 南岳寺　(Nangakuji)



The last picture is from the � 高院 (zoukouin), which is of the Zen Soutou-sect.



The 海向寺 (kaikouji) of the Jisan Shingon sect also has a mummy, but no photo.

The word "sokushinbutsu" probably means "attainment of Buddhahood during life". Does anyone have more information about it ?