Spider Waterfall

Japanese

In olden times, a woodcutter who cut firewood on Mt. Rokko had finished his work and went down to the bottom of a waterfall near Arima Onsen. "Ahh. I'm very tired. I think I'll lie down for awhile," he said.

The woodcutter fell into a deep sleep. When this happened, a giant spider appeared from inside the basin of the waterfall spinning silk from its mouth. It wrapped its silk threads around the woodcutter's ankles. Startled by the spider, the woodcutter woke up. He began stealthily unraveling the threads, wrapping them around a nearby stump. "What the devil next?" he wondered.

It wasn't long when he thought the gurgling water of the basin was swirling and the spider appeared. The spider sucked up the stump into the basin of the waterfall. "Ah, I'm saved!"

After that the spider is said to have been exterminated by the lord of Arima.

In addition to this waterfall, there are many waterfalls between Arima Onsen and Mt. Rokko. There is a waterfall named "Tuzumi-ga-taki (Drum Waterfall)" for the drum-like sound of the water hitting the rock and a waterfall named "White Pebble Falls" for the white pebbles spread out over the basin of the waterfall. (Unfortunately, no white pebbles remain after many visitors to Arima for the baths left with them.) Also, there is a waterfall of 10 m or more that freezes in winter and is called "Hyakken-daki (180-meter Waterfall)."

Folklores in Arima Index
No. 1 Tale : Two Gods and Three Crows of Arima
No. 2 Tale : Saint Gyoki and Hot Springs of Arima
No. 3 Tale : Saint Ninsai and the Spider Guide
No. 4 Tale : Totoya-michi and the Mountain Dog's Repayment
No. 5 Tale : Spider Waterfall
No. 6 Tale : Valley of Hell (Bird Hell and Insect Hell)
No. 7 Tale : Mt. Kumuchi and Cedar Valley
No. 8 Tale : Uwanari-yu (Jealousy Bath)
No. 9 Tale : Tamoto-ishi (Tamato Stone)
No. 10 Tale : Negai-zaka (Slope of Wish)
No. 11 Tale : The Teakettle of Zenpukuji Temple
No. 12 Tale : Kobu-zaka (Lump Slope)
No. 13 Tale : Otoku-san
No. 14 Tale : Funasaka and Saint Gyoki
No. 15 Tale : Fire Protecting Jizo of Konomoto
No. 16 Tale : Origin of Motoyu "Ryuusenkaku"

Address:
"Motoyu Ryuusenkaku - Arima Onsen"
1663, Utsugidani, Arima-cho, Kita-ku,
Kobe City, Hyogo, 651-1401 Japan
Tel: 078-904-0901 Fax: 078-903-0099
E-mail address: ryuusen@skyblue.ocn.ne.jp

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