One Hundred Famous Views of Edo No.19Otonashi River and a dam, so called a big waterfall, at Oji

During the Edo period, the three gongen shrines in Kumano, Kii Province, were worshipped by the Japanese public because the gods enshrined there were believed to have created Japan as well as its people. In later years, these gods were considered to be the incarnations of Bodhisattvas (Buddhist saints). Reflecting the popularity of the gods, many gongen shrines were built at many places in Japan. A gongen shrine was built at Oji, and owing to the topographical similarity of this place to that of Kumano, the river flowing through Oji was named Otonashi River (meaning “soundless river”) after the one in Kumano.
A dam (entai) was built across the river in the ravine between Oji and Asukayama. The soundless river’s name was also derived from the fact that the water stored by the dam was stagnant and calm. On the other hand, excess water which flowed over the dam created a waterfall, and this waterfall, known as Otaki, is depicted in this print. The reason why this fall was named Otaki, meaning “big fall”, was that there were many small falls upstream of this river.
The district around the waterfall was a famous scenic place because:
1. The river flowed through a ravine and offered wonderful scenery on both sides.
2. Cherry trees and maple trees were planted along the banks of the river.
3. On the hilltops on both sides of the river stood shrines and temples.
In this print one of the temples can be seen beyond the waterfall. The hill lying behind the temple is Asukayama, which was opened to the public as a cherry blossom viewing spot by the shogun. Asukayama and Oji district are located 8 km from Nihonbashi, an easy walking distance from the centre of the city. The area attracted many people who wished to enjoy cherry blossom viewing in spring and scarlet maple leaf viewing in autumn.