All About Japan

Purify Body & Mind with Waterfall Training

Shrines Temples & Shrines Deeper Japan
Purify Body & Mind with Waterfall Training

Japan has a rich and complex spiritual history, and even today Shintoism plays an important role in the country's cultural identity. There are many time-honored traditional practices—like meditation and other ascetic practices—handed down by priests and monks, many of which can be beneficial to the wellbeing of members of modern society.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sUm6nb7TsM

Keiichi Nishizawa is a Shinto priest at Kuzuryu Shrine in western Tokyo, and he offers waterfall training—a form of traditional ascetic training for monks and priests—to anyone, in the belief that these traditional practices can provide multifaceted benefits to members of modern society. By standing under the powerful waters of the nearby Kuzuryu Falls, participants are able to strengthen their bodies and minds, and practice stress relief in a way that helps them connect with their traditional roots.

For more insight into this unique practice, check out the video above!