Publication Information
- Location : Sanzu River
- Japanese : 三途の川
- Functions : Mortal Realm
- Believed Located : Mount Osore in the Aomori Prefecture in Japan's Tōhoku region
- Located in series : Netherworld in both Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, Power Rangers Samurai and Power Rangers : Super Samurai
History
Samurai Sentai Shinkenger
Native of the Sanzu River, the Gedoshu, Nanashi and Ayakashi emerge from the tainted waters to conqure the earth. When Dokoku is defeated by the seventeenth head of the Shiba House, Masataka Shiba, he and the Ayakashi are banished from earth and back into the river with a then-imperfect sealing character where they would stay until the present day of 2009. When the Rokumon Junk emerges from the depths of the river, Dokoku, at first, is unaware of his defeat and subsequent survival of Shinken Red and planned to do nothing until it was brought to his attention.
Enraged by the news, he and his crew (Shitari Honeno and Dayuu Usukawa) work to flood the Sanzu River with the help of the Ayakashi, by feeding off of and creating human misery on earth. Throughout the renewed battle with the Shinkengers, Dokoku's powers begin to increase, his fits of rage often caused the river to rise and flood momentarily through the cracks of earth.
The plans to flood the earth with the Sanzu are momentarily put on hold with the arrival of Akumaro Sujigarano and his desire to bring Hell onto earth with the use of his own Ayakashi. Risking his well being, Dokoku leaves the Rokumon Junk and comes to earth to repair Dayuu's shamisen and fend off Akumaro, as well as knocking around the Shinkengers effortlessly.
His actions nearly kill him and as a result, Dokoku was submerged into the River to heal him. After Akumaro's death at the hands of Juzo Fuwa and the Shinkengers, Shitari and Dayuu work to hasten Dokoku's revival, but it isn't until the destruction of Dayuu's shamisen at the hands of ShinkenPink that the River is able to rise.
Discarding her mortal life and attachment to the shamisen revives not only Dokoku, but allows the Sanzu River to flood the earth. Empowered by the river and Dayuu's demise, the Nanashi and Dokoku run rampant on the earth, killing and destroying everything in their way.
Dokoku, however, is eventually destroyed by the Shinkengers and the Sanzu receeds back into the underworld, taking a surviving Shitari and the Rokumon Junk with it. For a short period, the Three Barbaric Ministers of Gaiark were likewise within the realm of the Sanzu in an attempt to escape service to Pollution President Batcheed.
Power Rangers : Super Samurai
As Samurai & Super Samurai follows Shinkenger's plot and storyline with relatively little change, Master Xandred and his crew's (Dayu and Octoroo) objectives and the Sanzu River's function remain unchanged. Xandred also intends to flood the earth with the Sanzu River. But to do this, he must send out his army of Moogers, entrusted to the Nighlock, to create negative emotions like sadness, misery and pain in humans to elevate the river's level. Dayu's sadness over Decker's death causing the Sanzu to rise. Then the Nighlok and Xandred run rampant on the earth, and destroying everything in their way. Xandred, however, is eventually destroyed by the Samurai Rangers and the Sanzu receeds back into the underworld, taking a surviving Octroo and Xandred's junk with it.
The habitant In Samurai Sentai Shinkenger Series
Original Historical Of Sanzu River
The Sanzu River, or River of Three Crossings, is a Japanese Buddhist tradition and religious belief similar to the Greek concept of the River Styx. It is believed that the dead must cross the river on the way to the afterlife, a belief reflected in Japanese funerals when six coins are placed in the casket with the dead. The Sanzu River is popularly believed to be located in Mount Osore, a suitably desolate and remote part of Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan.
Real Sanzu River in Japan
- in Kanra, Kanra, Gunma36°15′31″N 138°57′09″E (confluence with Shirakura River)
- in Chōnan, Chōsei, Chiba35°25′22″N 140°15′54″E (confluence with Ichinomiya River)
- in Zaō, Katta, Miyagi38°08′39″N 140°29′29″E (confluence with Nigori River)
- in Mutsu, Aomori41°19′33″N 141°05′46″E (drain from Usori Lake)
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