Fukuroda Falls 滝

Fukuroda Waterfalls

This waterfall is the most famous in my region, and is advertised as being the perfect spot for a romantic outing. The park has even portioned off sections of the walk for couples to find their moment for a scenic kiss. The waterfall itself was smaller than I expected, but that is partially due to the season. In the summer the whole park was green and alive, but the waterfall was only a trickle compared to the spring. 

Near the entrance to the waterfall park there are several diners and omiyage shops hoping to catch your attention as you arrive and leave. Honestly, it is worth making time to look through some of these because the shops are very traditional and quaint and greatly add to the experience of visiting the falls. Even if you are not a window shopper (who isn't naturally a window shopper??) the shops feature climate control to warm you in the winter and cool you in the summer. Trust me, after a long walk around the falls, climate control is quite welcome .

Once you pass the shops you follow the river and pay the couple hundred yen for entrance to the falls. Then you walk through an underground tunnel, a cool, damp walk to hide from the heat in the summer... but I imagine it is unpleasantly icy in the winter. Every ten thirty meters or so there is a break in the tunnel for a glimpse of the outside world. In the end of the tunnel is a shrine and a veranda to view the bottom of the falls for your Kodak moment. However, for the best pictures you must take the elevator three stories up and climb a few stairs. There at the top is a giant cutout of the local mascot along with a billboard illustrating where you are in the province, in Japan, in the world, and - my personal favorite - in the milky way galaxy. This galaxy image is also used to demonstrate how the waterfalls were originally formed, but I enjoyed being told where I am in the grander scheme of things. Think big.

What you will see and what you can do varies drastically by season. The changing foliage in the fall fires up the woods with colors. In the winter you can climb the frozen water (as depicted fuzzily in the picture above). In the summer it is so alive and green. In the spring the water roars down in torrents. Once you visit the falls you can walk along an old rope bridge and through the woods to a little lunch shop tucked away in the trees before heading back to the entrance and the real world. 

Even if this trip was not exactly what I had imagined, it was well worth the experience.