A clear and strong spring that flows on the grounds of Tentokuji Temple feeds Uriwari Falls, known for cascading waters that remain cool throughout the year. According to Shusui zatsuwa, a record of Wakasa topography and oral history compiled in 1760, the falls are called Uriwari (“melon-splitting”) because the water is as cold as ice in summer, and if you tried to cool melons in it, they would split open.
The surrounding area is known as the Mizu no Mori (“Forest of Water”). The name is mentioned in Wakasa gunkenshi, a seventeenth-century history of the Wakasa region, showing that the location was already recognized as a scenic spot at that time. Practitioners of Shugendo, a syncretic religion that combines Buddhism, Shinto, and ascetic mountain worship, have been visiting the Mizu no Mori forest to train for centuries. A historical document from one of the nearby villages states that the stream was revered as sacred since the time of the Shugendo monk Taicho (682–767), and the water was believed to bring plentiful harvests and ward off diseases. A Kamakura-period (1185–1333) statue of Fudo Myo-o, a Buddhist Wisdom King strongly associated with Shugendo ascetic worship, is venerated near the waterfall.
Aside from the spiritual properties attributed to Uriwari Falls, the water is considered among the most delicious in Japan and has quenched the thirst of travelers since ancient times. In 1985, the Ministry of the Environment selected Uriwari Falls as one of the 100 best water sources in the country. In 1996, it was discovered that the rare freshwater red alga Hildenbrandia rivularis propagates on the surface of the stones in the stream. This species of algae requires unpolluted, flowing water at low temperatures, which underscores the purity of the fresh, cool waters of Uriwari Falls.
