The water behind the temple’s name
The name Kiyomizu means “clear water” or “pure water”. It refers to a spring on the slopes of Mount Otowa, which is the water that gives the temple its identity and the reason, according to tradition, for its location. The spring emerges from the hillside beneath the main hall and falls in three thin streams into a pool, where visitors gather. The place is called the Otowa no Taki, or Otowa waterfall, although the fall is small and is better described as three narrow channels of water.
The spring is also tied to the temple’s founding story, in which a hermit is said to have been practising by a waterfall when a monk arrived. That story belongs to the temple’s origins and is told separately; what matters here is that water has been part of the site’s character from the earliest accounts.
What visitors do
Visitors queue by the pool and use long-handled cups, held out to catch the falling water. Each of the three streams is usually described as bringing a benefit when drunk. The most common version of the list is:
- Longevity or health
- Success in studies or career
- Good fortune in love or relationships
Accounts differ about which stream corresponds to which benefit, and different guidebooks and local stories may list them in a different order. This variation is a clue to the nature of the custom: it belongs to popular religion, which develops through habit and word of mouth, not to any official teaching.
A frequently heard saying is that it is greedy to drink from all three, and that one should choose a single wish. Some people take it as a serious reminder to be content, others as a playful bit of folklore. You are not required to take part. Many visitors simply watch.
Popular practice rather than doctrine
Buddhism has no teaching that water from a particular spring grants wishes. The Buddhist traditions of Japan, though, have long absorbed older customs of reverence for springs, mountains and trees, many of them associated with Shinto, the indigenous tradition of Japan. Temples and shrines frequently share such sites. Water purification before worship is also common to both, and at many temples visitors rinse their hands and mouth at a basin before entering.
So the Otowa custom is best understood as a form of devotion that sits beside formal Buddhist practice. Many worshippers associate the water with the compassion of Kannon, the bodhisattva honoured at the temple, because the main image is believed to protect and help those who ask. Others come for the experience, without any particular belief. Respectful behaviour is expected in both cases. How Kannon devotion is understood is a separate question from the water custom.
A comparable idea appears across Asia: holy water, springs and rivers have been tied to blessing and purification, from sacred rivers in India to temple basins in many countries. The details differ widely, and similarities should not be pushed too far. It is useful to keep in mind that Buddhism’s own concepts of purification focus on the mind and conduct rather than on water.
Practical and hygiene points
- Rules for the water, including whether visitors may drink from it, how cups are handled and whether the service is available, have been changed from time to time and may be different on the day you visit. Follow the signs and the staff.
- The area is often crowded, with wet and slippery stone underfoot. Move carefully, and take care with children and with older relatives.
- If the water is not offered, watching the falls from a short distance is still worthwhile.
- Anyone who has health concerns about drinking untreated water should follow their own medical advice. This site cannot provide medical or travel advice, and the temple’s own information should be consulted.
- Take only what is allowed. Do not remove water in bottles unless the temple clearly permits it, and do not leave rubbish. Leaving no trace is part of responsible heritage tourism at any busy site.
Respect and photography
The area below the main hall is narrow, and some visitors are praying. Stand back, avoid blocking the queue to take pictures, and follow any restrictions on photography. As a general principle, ask before photographing other people. Keep voices low. The usual rules of temple photography etiquette apply.
The mood of the place
Standing beneath the great wooden stage and listening to the water is, for many people, the quietest part of a busy visit. The mystique of the site does not rest on any claim about supernatural water. It rests on the combination of a steep wooded hill, a spring that has been tended for centuries and a long tradition of people coming to ask for something, for themselves or for others. The decision to participate and what to wish for is left to the individual visitor.
The temple’s official information gives the current arrangements. Opening hours, queue systems and access can change, as can the temple’s rules at festival times.