What's in a Name? (Akameguchi 48 Waterfalls Hike)

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order." - John Burroughs

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It was the most aesthetically pleasing hike I had been on up until now.

The trail passed through a valley, over man-made bridges, up and down several steep inclines, all the while accompanied by a river with crystal clear water. The water was so clear that if I wanted to, I could have counted the fish swimming in it and the stones on the river bed.

The leaves were starting to change into different shades of red, yellow and brown. They glided down onto the ground silently, urged on by the cool autumn breeze. They crackled under my footsteps like small fireworks. They floated in the crystal clear water like droplets of gold. 

There were 25 waterfalls of different sizes; some gentle, some a force of nature to reckon with. All of them had names and a story behind each name. I would have loved to learn about all the stories the waterfalls had to tell but the guidebook only had explanations for the names of the best 5 waterfalls. 

Names make the elements of nature endearing. Even though there were many waterfalls along the way, they were not just "another waterfall". They become the waterfall touched by the goddess with a thousand hands or the waterfall with a burden to carry like Atlas holding up the sky on his shoulder. 

I imagine that an individual or a group of people must have spent some time observing the waterfall and thought of a name. Then, they must have noticed what stood out the most about the waterfall. For example, they must have thought, "Oh! How surprising it is that this waterfall just flows silently and it looks like a strip of long cloth. Why don't we name it that way then?" Or "Hmm.. This waterfall is a bit different. Doesn't it look like there's a hand behind it? Let's dedicate this to the goddess with a thousand hands." Then, other people started to see the resemblance and the name became widely accepted to the point that a signboard was set up with the engraved name to tell strangers from near and far what the waterfall is called. 

Talking about names, you may have probably noticed that the hike is called Akame 48 waterfalls but I wrote that I encountered more than 20 waterfalls along the way. I didn't know that the number 48 is not to be taken literally. This is something I learned after going on two particular hikes. The first one is called Takihita 48 waterfalls (which I wrote about here) and the second one is this. Upon consulting with Wikipedia, I learned that there are quite a few waterfalls throughout Japan with the number 48 in their names. It is said that the number 48 might have derived from:

(1) the Iroha-uta, a song used to remember the old Japanese alphabet, which had 48 characters

(2) Buddhism in Japan, referring to 48 vows taken by the Amidha Buddha

(3) just an idiosyncratic number "48" which was used to mean "many" instead of the literal number

One of the perks of hiking in Japan for me is that I get to learn unexpected new things about Japanese culture as well!

Once a name is in place, things take on a new significance in your memory. I have been on several hikes this year. In all the other trails, I only remember the most famous landmark's name which was either a waterfall, river or a mountain. However, this trail was special because I learned the names of the waterfalls, stones and caves I crossed paths with. I feel more connected to them by wondering about the stories behind their names. I also remember them fondly and call them by their names when I recount their stories to others.

These names also tell the stories of connection between nature and humans. What was the significance of a certain natural element's existence to people of long ago? What is our relationship with it nowadays? How has our relationship with nature changed or remained the same throughout time? 

They were all interesting questions to ponder on an early autumn day.

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