|
Fudo Waterfall (不動の滝) "Ichiri-zuka" or the Japanese milestones (一里塚) |
|
|
| IMAGE | ||
| Fudo-no-Taki (不動の滝) or Fudo Waterfall, Takahata, Hachimantai City (formerly Ashiro Town). There are many waterfalls named "Fudo-no-Taki" in Japan because the name "Fudo" is after "Fudo-myo-o" (不動明王), the fierce form of the Buddha Vairocana in Japanese Buddhist mythology. "Fudo" means "the Immovable One" which is the patron of the Martial Arts and the term 'Myo-o' indicates that "Fudo" is one of the Wrathful Kings of Mystic Knowledge. Thus Japanese people, especially Samurai warriors, had worshipped waterfalls as the personification of "Fudo-myo-o" and liked to train martial arts near the waterfall or bathing under the waterfall.
This 15 m (49 ft) Fudo-no-Taki is a medium sized one. It is said that there was a drill hall for monks who led an ascetic life in the mountains since the ancient time. The existing old shrine was built by the rocky wall sometime in the early nineteenth century: It was renamed "Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine" (桜松神社) in the Meiji Era (1868-1912). An image of "Sekkutsu Fudo-myo-o" (Stone Statue of Fudo-myo-o) was enshrined in the middle of the waterfall in 1934. In the period of World War II, numerous families from the Tohoku District visited here to pray for their soldiers at the front to return in triumph, tossing their donated coins in the waterfall. The Annual Sakuramatsu-jinjya Festival is held on March 3. |
||
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The 15 m. "O Torii" (Great Shrine Gate), Fudo-no-Taki or Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine: The signpost indicates this point is at N. Latitude 40'. | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The 15 m. First "Torii" (Shrine Gate), Fudo-no-Taki or Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Fudo-bashi Bridge over the Appi River. There are three red bridges on the approach to the Fudo-no-Taki: This is the first one. | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Inari-jinjya Shrine near the Fudo-bashi Bridge | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Ryoen-bashi Bridge (Bridge of a Good Match) over the Fudo-gawa River: the second red bridge on the approach. | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Second "Torii" (Shrine Gate), Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine. The post on the left indicates that this Fudo-no-Taki" was selected as one of the "Best One Hundred Waterfalls of Japan": This is the only waterfall in Iwate on the list. | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Approach to the shrine halls and the third shrine gate. | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Approach along the stone lanterns and Japanese cedars (cryptomeria) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Approach along the stone lanterns and Japanese cedars (cryptomeria) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Fourth "Torii" (Shrine Gate) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The Wood Gate | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The approach continues: The wooden board on the left is the place for sacred lots (the white paper slips). | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The new hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The new hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The left foo dog (stone-carved guardian dog) of the new hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The right foo dog (stone-carved guardian dog) of the new hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Wooden plaque signing "Sakuramatsu-jinjya," the new hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine: Donated by Yoshizo Udosawa on May 3 (Annual Festival Day), 1989. | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Inside of the new hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Inside of the new hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Approach to the waterfall and the old shrine hall: The wooden board on the right is the place for dedicated votive pictures (of a horse) to the deity. | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The small wooden post was erected in memory of the visit of the 15th Morioka lord Toshihisa Nambu (南部利剛, 1827-1896) along the approach. He was also the 41th lord of the Nambu clan who governed this huge area since the early Kamakura Period (1192-1333). As the last lord under the Tokugawa Shogunate government, Toshihisa experienced the most severe time of the history of the clan-- the Meiji Restoration in 1867 and the Boshin War in 1868-69. The new government commanded him to retire from lordship and leave Morioka greatly reducing his dominion. | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The Wood Gate to the waterfall and the old shrine hall | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) On the approach: The famous "En-musubi-no-ki" (the Sacred Tree of Marriage or Hymen) is on the upper right. | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Stone statue of "Daikoku-ten" (Skt. Mahakala), one of the "Shichifukujin" (七福神; Japan's Seven Deities of Good Fortune), in front of the old hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) "Fudo-do" (Hall of Fudo), the old hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Stone plaque of the Cock in front of "Fudo-do" (Hall of Fudo), the old hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) A small hall located between the waterfall and the old hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) A sacred cave over "Fudo-do" (Hall of Fudo), the old hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) "Fudo-do" (Hall of Fudo), the old hall of Sakuramatsu-jinjya Shrine | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Inscription of "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) erected by the education board of the former Ashiro Town dated April 21, 1971 | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The stream of "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Red Bridge over the stream of "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Red Bridge over the stream of "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The stream of "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The stream of "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) viewed from the Red Bridge | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Red Bridge in the background of "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) Red Bridge and the stream of "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The stream of "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The stream of "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) The stream of "Fudo-no-Taki" (Fudo Waterfall) | |
| Ichiri-zuka | During the Edo Period (1603-1867) a number of "Ichiri-zuka" (the Japanese milestones) were made by the Tokugawa Shogunate. One "Ichiri-zuka" was made in four-kilometers along the major roads. First it was just a mound, but later a pine tree or hackberry was planted for indicating the sign.
This "Ichiri-zuka," located near the Fudo-no-Taki, Hachimantai City, was named "Nanashigure Ichiri-zuka" (七時雨一里塚) because it is located along the "Nagareshigure-michi" (流霰路) or "Kazuno-kaido" (鹿角街道) at the foot of Mt. Nanashigure (七時雨山, 1,060 m). The name "Nanashigure" or "Nagareshigure" derived from its changeable weather: It changes many times in a day and it very frequently rains. "Nagareshigure-michi" was the main road from between Morioka and Kazuno via Osarizawa Copper Mine (尾去沢銅山) during the Edo Period when the Nambu clan governed this huge area including Osarizawa and Kazuno (both in Akita Prefecture now). However, it rapidly declined after the new road "Tsugaru-kaido" (now called "Route 282" between Morioka and Kazuno) was constructed in the west in 1878. |
|
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) "Nanashigure Ichiri-zuka," Terada, Hachimantai City (former Ashiro Town Area) | |
;)
|
(Wednesday 18 October) "Nanashigure Ichiri-zuka," Terada, Hachimantai City (former Ashiro Town Area) |
