Deep within the lush rainforests of Central Kalimantan, the Dayak Ngaju people practice one of Indonesia's most sacred and mesmerizing ceremonies — the Tiwah. More than a funeral rite, the Tiwah is a powerful spiritual passage, a final act of love and duty performed by the living for the departed. In the eyes of the Dayak Ngaju, death is not the end; it is a long journey toward a better, eternal village in the spirit world, known as Lewu Tatau.

Some lakes invite swimming. Some invite photography. But Lake Usori? It whispers. It beckons. It waits. Nestled in the caldera of an ancient volcano at the foot of Mount Osore in Aomori, this eerie, otherworldly lake has long been believed to be a gateway to the afterlife.