Praying for a safe summer, at the waterfall connected to Kentaro (The opening of Yuuhi No Ryuu waterfall)/Minamiashigara

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1207010018/

July 2, 2012

Praying for the safety of the spectators, a yamabushi (mountain priest) shoots an arrow=Yagurazawa's Yuuhi no Ryuu (Waterfall of dusk), Minamiashigara City

According to legend, Yuuhi no Ryuu (Yagurazawa, Minamiashigara City) is the site of Kintaro's first bath. On the 1st, the prayer event, “The opening of Yuuhi no Ryuu” was held for hikers and river goers visiting during the summer.

Organized by the city's tourism association, this marks the 46th occasion of the event. Through the reverberation of a horagai, a Yamabushi of the Mount Akiba Ryōgaku Temple (Itabashi, Odawara city), performed a ritual for the safety of vacation-goers. A great cheer arose from spectators and families as he faced the waterfall, firing an arrow at its surface.

Yuuhi no Ryuu is 23 meters long and 5 meters wide. The surrounding area contains the "vacation rock," wild animals and the ruins of houses, making it a popular vacationing spot. The area has been handed down through folklore as the spot Kintaro was raised at.

Original Text:

金太郎ゆかりの滝で、夏の安全祈る「夕日の滝びらき」/南足柄

2012年7月2日

観光客の安全を祈願し、矢を放つ山伏＝南足柄市矢倉沢の夕日の滝

金太郎が産湯を使ったと伝えられる南足柄市矢倉沢の「夕日の滝」で１日、夏のハイキングや川遊びの安全を祈願する「夕日の滝びらき」が行われた。

市観光協会の主催で46回目。ほら貝の音が響く中、秋葉山量覚院（小田原市板橋）の山伏が行楽客の安全を祈願。滝に向けて矢を放つ場面では、集まった関係者や家族連れらから大きな歓声が上がった。

 夕日の滝は高さ約23メートル、幅約５メートル。周辺には生家跡や動物たちと遊んだ「遊び石」など、金太郎にちなんだ伝承が残る。