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Making a wish
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Making a wish

Near the main hall at Kiyomizu Dera is the Otowa waterfall, (Otowa-no-taki) where the falls is channeled into three streams of water that fall into a pond below. The tradition is to catch the water in a long handled cup and drink it to have a wish granted for health, longevity, and success in studies. The three streams are believed to be one for longevity, one for love, and one for knowledge, (but all the water comes from the same source). Supplicants make a wish to the protective deity Fudomyo-o at the shrine behind the falls and drink one cup of water by slurping it from their hands. These school girls are wishing for 'success in studies'.

OtawanotakeOtawa waterfallmaking a wishthree water streamswish granting powersKiyomizu DeraKyotoJapanUNESCO World Heritage

From Kyoto 3, Kiyomizudera

  • Early morning on the Setsuri River
  • Stalectites in red light
  • Sleeping Ural owl
  • Windblown
  • Fat jolly Buddha statue
  • Floating leaves and reflections
  • Making a wish
  • Green hands
  • Taisan-ji pagoda with fall colours
  • Pagoda seen through maple leaves
  • Japanese grey heron
  • A new dawn
  • Mossy path
  • Red!
  • Smiling boat woman
  • Sunrise with tour boats
  • Red berries
  • Ship's mast with gibbous moon
  • Fall at Saiho-ji
  • Looking out at Ha Long Bay
  • jimholmquist

    on November 14, 2016

    Terrific shot and an interesting tradition!

  • Rick Willis

    on November 14, 2016

    Negates the need for plastic bottles for drinking water...

  • Lgood

    on November 13, 2016

    What a lovely tradition, and what a wonderful capture of the students making wishes. I really enjoyed learning about this, thanks for sharing.

  • Byron Fair Photography

    on November 13, 2016

    Very cool.

  • fotoeffects

    on November 13, 2016

    Great shot and interesting bg info!

  • Franks-Focus

    on November 13, 2016

    Interesting custom & nice capture of it in process.

  • Judith Sparhawk

    on November 13, 2016

    Really interesting custom--fun seeing the happy, hopeful, expressions on their faces.

  • Terry Allen

    on November 13, 2016

    Thank you for your comments!

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