Summary
In 1973, strange events reportedly began at a small Catholic convent near Akita, Japan. Sister Agnes Sasagawa experienced unexplained phenomena, while a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary allegedly developed a bleeding wound on its right hand and released a fragrant liquid. Beginning in January 1975, witnesses reported tears flowing from the statue's eyes. The phenomenon was said to recur 101 times over nearly seven years, sometimes before groups of visitors. Laboratory examinations, medical reports and a lengthy church investigation followed. In 1984, the local bishop accepted the reported events as supernatural, although their nature and interpretation remain disputed.
Additional Notes
In June 1973, unusual events reportedly began at a small Catholic convent in Yuzawadai, near Akita in northern Japan. Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa, who had experienced serious hearing loss, described brilliant light appearing in the chapel. On July 6, she claimed to hear a voice coming from a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary. That same day, the sisters reportedly discovered blood emerging from a cross-shaped wound on the statue's right hand. The approximately 90-centimetre-tall statue had been carved in 1963 by local sculptor Saburo Wakasa. Later in 1973, witnesses reported that its surface released a fragrant, perspiration-like liquid. Sister Agnes also described receiving three religious messages, including warnings about future suffering and conflict within the Church. On January 4, 1975, an even more remarkable phenomenon was reported: tears flowing from the statue's eyes. According to the convent's records, the weeping recurred intermittently until September 15, 1981, reaching a total of 101 episodes. The reported events attracted considerable attention. Bishop John Shojiro Ito stated that approximately 500 people had witnessed the tears and that he had personally observed four episodes. Some of the collected liquid was examined by forensic specialists at Japanese universities. According to the convent and the bishop, laboratory findings indicated bodily fluids consistent with human secretions. These reported results did not establish how the fluids appeared on the statue or demonstrate a supernatural cause. Sister Agnes's hearing difficulties became another significant part of the story. Her hearing reportedly returned in 1982, a development examined by medical professionals and interpreted by supporters as connected to the earlier religious experiences. After years of investigation, Bishop Ito issued a pastoral letter on April 22, 1984, accepting the events as supernatural in character and authorising devotion to Our Lady of Akita within his diocese. His judgement represented diocesan recognition, not an independently established scientific conclusion or a definitive universal declaration by the Vatican. The original wooden statue remains at the Seitai Hoshikai convent. Today, visitors can see it in a chapel completed in 2002, on the same religious grounds where the extraordinary events were reported decades earlier.
The Location Today
The original wooden statue is displayed in the convent's Japanese-style chapel, dedicated in 2002. The grounds also contain gardens for prayer and meditation. Visiting: Public Access – designated hours. The Akita City tourism website lists 9:30–11:00 a.m. and 1:00–4:00 p.m., closed Wednesdays. Visitors should check the convent's current notices before travelling. (https://www.akita-yulala.jp/en/see/our-lady-of-akita-catholic-convent-seitai-hoshikai)
- Environment
- Forest, Convent
- Time of Day
- Various times
- Evidence Level
- Investigated Case
- Visiting the Location
- Free Access, Limited
- Ownership of the Location
- Private