Nezame no toko - Nezame no toko

This is a scenic spot on the Kiso River in Agematsu Town, Kiso County, in the southwest of Nagano Prefecture. It is a nationally designated place of scenic beauty. The Kiso River erodes the granite along the columnar and square joints, creating a deep pool. There are rocks such as Tokoiwa, Byobuiwa, and Koshikakeiwa, as well as large and small cauldrons of potholes created by water erosion. The white rocks that resemble building blocks, the clear waters of the Kiso River, and the surrounding trees all blend together to create a garden-like landscape. There is a legend about Urashima Taro, who settled here after returning from the Dragon Palace, but one day when he opened a treasure box, he immediately became an old man and disappeared somewhere. Locals say that Ryugu-jo Castle is located under the Nezame-no-Toko, and on the cliff stands Rinsen-ji Temple, which enshrines Benzaiten, a deity said to have been left behind by Urashima Taro. Community buses run from Agematsu Station and Kiso-Fukushima Station on the JR Chuo Main Line, and the area can also be seen from the train windows on the Chuo Main Line.

[Hiroyoshi Kobayashi]

"Kiso River" by Ichikawa Takeo (1973, Shinano region)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長野県南西部、木曽(きそ)郡上松町(あげまつまち)にある木曽川の景勝地。国指定名勝。木曽川が花崗(かこう)岩の柱状・方状節理に沿って侵食し、深い淵(ふち)をつくる。床(とこ)岩、屏風(びょうぶ)岩、腰掛岩などの岩々や、水の侵食でできた大釜(おおがま)・小釜の甌穴(おうけつ)などがあり、積み木細工のような白い岩、木曽川の清流、周囲の樹木が調和して庭園的な景観をみせる。浦島太郎の伝説があり、竜宮から帰った浦島太郎がこの地に住み着いたが、ある日玉手箱を開いたところたちまち翁(おきな)になり、どこかへ立ち去ったという。地元では竜宮城が寝覚ノ床の下にあるといい、崖(がけ)上には浦島太郎が残したという弁財天を祀(まつ)る臨川寺(りんせんじ)がある。JR中央本線上松駅・木曽福島駅からコミュニティバスの便があり、また中央本線の車窓からも見える。

［小林寛義］

『市川健夫著『木曽川』（1973・信濃路）』

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