The Sanzu River or River of Three Crossings, is a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese Buddhist tradition and religious belief similar to the River Styx

Styx

In Greek mythology the Styx is the river that forms the boundary between the underworld and the world of the living, as well as a goddess and a nymph that represents the river.Styx may also refer to:-Popular culture:...

. It is believed that on the way to the afterlife, the dead must cross the river, which is why a Japanese funeral

Japanese funeral

A Japanese funeral A Japanese funeral A Japanese funeral (葬儀 sōgi or 葬式 sōshiki）includes a wake, the cremation of the deceased, a burial in a family grave, and a periodic memorial service. According to 2007 statistics, 99.81% of deceased Japanese are cremated...

 includes placing six coins in the deceased's casket.

The Sanzu River is popularly believed to be located in Mount Osore

Mount Osore

is a region in the center of remote Shimokita Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture, Japan.According to popular mythology, Mount Osore marks the entrance to Hell, with a small brook running to the neighboring Lake Usorisan that is equated to the Sanzu River, a river that deceased souls needed to cross of...

, a suitably desolate and remote region of northern Japan.

According to the Soka Gakkai, traditionally, people are said to cross on the seventh day after their death. It has three crossing points: a bridge, a ford, and a spot where there is only deep serpent-infested water. Where one crosses depends on the weight of one's offenses while alive. Those who performed acts of good while alive cross over a bridge adorned with seven precious substances. Those whose karmic balance of good and evil is relatively even cross at a ford. Those who committed great evil must wade through deep water infested with hideous serpents. On the bank, a male demon and a female demon dwell under a large tree. The female, named Datsue-ba

Datsue-ba

is an old woman who sits at the edge of the Sanzu River in the Buddhist underworld. At the river, she has two primary duties.According to Japanese Buddhist folklore , when a child dies its soul has to cross the Sanzu River...

, strips the dead of their clothes, and the male, named Keneō

Keneo

is an old man who sits at the edge of the Sanzu River in the Buddhist underworld. When a soul of an adult arrives at the river, Datsue-ba forces the sinners to take off their clothes, and Keneō hangs these clothes on a riverside branch that bends to reflect the gravity of the sins. Various levels...

, hangs the clothes on a branch of the tree to determine the weight of their offenses. There is also a popular saying: "If you take that much money, you're going to drown in the Sanzu River".

Real Sanzu River in Japan

• in Kanra
  Kanra, Gunma
  is a town located in Kanra District, Gunma, Japan.As of September 1, 2007, the town has an estimated population of 14,119 and a density of 241.06 persons per km²...
  
  , Kanra
  Kanra District, Gunma
  is a district located in Gunma, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 32,840 and a density of 83.27 persons per km². The total area is 394.38 km².-Towns and villages:*Kanra*Nanmoku*Shimonita-Mergers:...
  
  , Gunma
  Gunma Prefecture
  is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
  
  36.258613°N 138.952444°W (confluence with Shirakura River)
• in Chōnan
  Chonan, Chiba
  is a town located in Chōsei District, Chiba, Japan.As of 2010 estimates, the town had a population of 9,154 and a density of 140 persons per km². The total area was .- Geography :...
  
  , Chōsei
  Chosei District, Chiba
  is a district located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of September 2010, the district has an estimated population of 63,382 and a density of 279 persons per km². The total area was 226.97 km²...
  
  , Chiba
  Chiba Prefecture
  is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
  
  35.422747°N 140.264917°W (confluence with Ichinomiya River)
• in Zaō
  Zao, Miyagi
  is a town located in Katta District, Miyagi, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 13,360 and a population density of 87.41 persons per km². The total area is 152.85 km².-Major roads:* Tōhoku Expressway:* Route 4, Route 457...
  
  , Katta
  Katta District, Miyagi
  is a district located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 15,266 and a population density of 36.71 persons per km². The total area is 415.85 km²....
  
  , Miyagi
  Miyagi Prefecture
  is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
  
  38.144116°N 140.491333°W (confluence with Nigori River)
• in Mutsu, Aomori
  Mutsu, Aomori
  is a city located in northeastern Aomori in the Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 61,205 and a density of 70.09 persons per km²...
  
  41.325877°N 141.096083°W (drain from Usori Lake)