Shasui Falls
Encyclopedia
is a waterfall
on the Tanzawa River in Yamakita
, Ashigarakami District
Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
.
The Shasui Falls is located in the precincts of Saishō-ji, a Buddhist temple, and has been used by yamabushi
and Buddhist clergy
for takegyo purification ceremonies, where participants stand underneath the fall, allowing the water to strike their head and upper body.
The Shasui Falls drops in three separate plunges with a total height of 90 meters. The upper falls has a height of 69 meters, the middle falls has a height of 16 meters and the lower has a height of 29 meters. The falls are mentioned as the in the Shin-Sagamikuni Fudoki of 1841, but have been known since at least the late Heian period
. During the early Kamakura period
, the famed monk Mongaku is said to have spent one hundred days in meditation and austerities at this waterfall, and the temple of Saishō-ji has an image of Fudo Myoo called the "Waterfall Fudō", which it attributes to Mongaku.
The Shasui Falls is listed as one of "Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls
", in a listing published by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment
in 1990.
It is also one of the “50 Scenic Spots of Kanagawa Prefecture” in a 1979 listing published by the Kanagawa Prefecture Tourism Association.
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
on the Tanzawa River in Yamakita
Yamakita, Kanagawa
is a town located in Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the town had an estimated population of 11,863 and a density of 52.8 persons per km². The total area was 224.70 km².-Geography:...
, Ashigarakami District
Ashigarakami District, Kanagawa
is an administrative district of Japan located in western Kanagawa Prefecture. Most of the mountainous district is sparsely populated, and is part of the Tanzawa-Ōyama Quasi-National Park.-History:...
Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, 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...
.
The Shasui Falls is located in the precincts of Saishō-ji, a Buddhist temple, and has been used by yamabushi
Yamabushi
' are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits with a long tradition as mighty warriors endowed with supernatural powers. They follow the Shugendō doctrine, an integration of mainly esoteric Buddhism of the Shingon sect, with Tendai and Shinto elements...
and Buddhist clergy
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
for takegyo purification ceremonies, where participants stand underneath the fall, allowing the water to strike their head and upper body.
The Shasui Falls drops in three separate plunges with a total height of 90 meters. The upper falls has a height of 69 meters, the middle falls has a height of 16 meters and the lower has a height of 29 meters. The falls are mentioned as the in the Shin-Sagamikuni Fudoki of 1841, but have been known since at least the late Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
. During the early Kamakura period
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
, the famed monk Mongaku is said to have spent one hundred days in meditation and austerities at this waterfall, and the temple of Saishō-ji has an image of Fudo Myoo called the "Waterfall Fudō", which it attributes to Mongaku.
The Shasui Falls is listed as one of "Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls
Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls
is a listing of waterfalls in Japan compiled by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 1990.-Background:Per the Japanese government, there are 517 named waterfalls in Japan...
", in a listing published by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment
Ministry of the Environment (Japan)
The ' of Japan was formed in 2001 from the sub-cabinet level Environmental Agency established in 1971. The minister is a member of the Cabinet and is chosen by the Prime Minister, usually from the Diet., the current is Goshi Hosono...
in 1990.
It is also one of the “50 Scenic Spots of Kanagawa Prefecture” in a 1979 listing published by the Kanagawa Prefecture Tourism Association.