Sanzu River

The Sanzu River is a river in Japanese Buddhist mythology that serves a similar manner to that of the River Styx in Greek and Roman mythology.

The river had three points where the dead could cross it. Depending upon how you lived your life while alive, that would determine which point you crossed.

• For those who lived a good life, they would use the bridge to cross the river.
• For those who had lives that were equally good and bad, they would use the ford to cross the river.
• For those who lived wicked lives, had to cross the river at the deepest point - which was infested with snakes.

Once the dead had crossed the river, they would meet up with two demons underneath a tree. The female demon (Datsu-ba) helps the dead undress. She then gives the dead's clothing to the male demon (Keneô) who would hang the clothing on the tree to determine the dead person's guilt.

Fatal Frame Universe

• In Fatal Frame IV, there is a location called the Souzu River (translated as River Styx in the remaster). Souzu is a synonym for the Sanzu, so the location in the game is a reference to this river.

Japanese Culture
Religion
Buddhism - Shinto
Japanese Ghosts/Creatures
Funayūrei - Goryō - Hitodama - Ikiryō - Onryō - Ubume - Yōkai - Yūrei
Specific Japanese Ghosts/Creatures
Oiwa - Okiku - Yuki-onna
Terms
Dosojin - Grave Mound - Hannya Mask - Higanbana - Jizo - Kaidan - Miko - Mukoyōshi - Sanzu River - Shimenawa - Toro-Nagashi - Wara Ningyo
Locations
Northeastern Japan - Shizuoka - Sugisawa Village - Tono
Media and Entertainment
Kagome, Kagome - Ringu