Ryuketsu (龍穴)
Ryuketsu is a place which is supposed to be flourishing in Onmyodo (way of Yin and Yang; occult divination system based on the Taoist theory of the five elements), ancient Taoism, and feng shui. In Onmyodo, a blessed place is sought by sochi method called Jinryu-tenketsu. Based on Ten-en-chi-hou (an ancient Chinese view of the universe which considers the heaven as round and the earth as square) which was derived from the same Onmyo (Yin and Yang) idea, many buildings are square shaped. Other Onmyodo idea includes philosophy outlines such as Shijin-soo (an ideal topography for the four Taoist gods, with a river in the east, a broad avenue in the west, a basin in the south, and a hill in the north). Feng shui defines Ryuketsu as a place where qi (vital energy) brows up.
From ancient times, exposed active faults have been grasped in Onmyodo. On transferring the capital or constructing a shrine, a place where Yin and Yang forces do not overlap each other has been selected as Ryuketsu, in view of the soil structure of the land such as active faults and configuration of mountains. Curiously enough, in the most places which are supposed to be large Ryuketsu in Japan, old shrines stand and the place has been said to be free from natural disasters. Ise Jingu Shrine, Toshodai-ji Temple, Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine, and so forth are supposed to be on Ryuketsu.