Minowa Salmon Fishery Association, one of unions of salmon farming, owns a hatchery nearby the Ushiwatari River. Another benefit of Mt. Chokaizan, the groundwater gushes out from the riverside. Behind the hatchery, there is a virgin forest and it has a pond called, Maruike-sama, whose origin comes from spring water, has long been worshiped by locals. It is a truly sacred place where the scenery creates the illusion of an ancient time. The blue-green water of the pond is crystal clear such that even a fallen tree, sunken in the water, is completely visible. Because of the percolation of the spring water, the tree isn’t decomposed and will never decay. According to legend, it is said that Maruike-sama Pond is linked to Lake Chokai, located some distance away on Mt. Chokaizan. It is said that the object of worship, normally in the inner shrine of a Shinto shrine, is actually that of the pond, which is located next to the main shrine.
There is another mystery spot besides the pond, Dohara Falls, which is located about 6km northwest from Maruike-sama. Two lines of falling water, left and right, run down behind Dohara Falls Fudo-do (a temple named after a protective deity) also originate from ground water. Taking a closer look, the water streams from the middle of a cliff. These two falls taste different, so locals draw them fit-for-purpose: for coffee, green tea and much more. As an experiment, the left side tasted pure and sharp, while the right side was milder. Water temperature is stabilized between 7ºC and 11ºC, and because of any temperature difference with the air, it may bring fog in the summer and steam in the winter. In the lower reaches, this spring water is certainly used by people in Yuza as a daily source of water.
Here again, Mr. Murakami. “In Spring, we have an event where a deity of rice cultivation and harvesting comes down to the village. For us, the deity is water. We draw it in our daily life with appreciation.” Mt. Chokaizan has been called “The Mount of Mikumari”. The origin of “Mikumari” came from “providing water”, but it also is comprehended and revered as, “Mikomori”, a guardian of children. In the fall, the deity goes back to the mountain. All events seem to be related to or centered around children.
Even in the Heisei period, when water and sewage was uniformly installed at each household, there were those who still utilized spring water for daily life. The quality of water was another reason, and it is an inherited right. But the idea is that the mountain is the power of nature, which influences our daily life through the water it provides, and it makes sense that that water is regarded more highly than that of convenience. A god is not something we just pray to, they are, indeed, something we owe our daily lives to.
