Tengu waterfall and Aya waterfall - Tokyo

[viewpoint]
- Tengu waterfall
- Aya waterfall

[how to get there]
1 hour JR train ride from Tokyo station takes you to Oume station. Then take JR itsukaichi line to Musashi Itsukaichi Station(12 min) and the final ride is on Nishi Tokyo Bus to next bus stop from Hossawa waterfall stop.

[recommend]
Transportation：★★★★☆
Hearing：★★★★☆

Near the bus stop, you can find a sign for the entrance of the waterfalls. After 15 min walk on paved road, the entrance of mountain will appear. If on car, you can park somewhere around.

Only 15 min walk brings you to the bottom side of Tengu waterfall. To see upper side of that, additional 10 min walking up is required.

As long as you want to meet Ayataki, walk up 10 more minuts.

The bottom side is 8 meter height and the upper side is 20 meter.


Ayataki, 20-meter-height water fall is very unique that the water is not falling down but sliding down on the moss on the valley. as far as you can see, the water is white since the water contend a lot of bubble through sliding on the moss. That is why this waterfall is also called "Awa taki"; "Awa" means bubble.

Upper side of Tengu taki


Bottom side of Tengu taki

Aya taki

You can touch the bubble!


The moss of Aya taki


I love this chair!


[Information]
Hinohara village
http://www.vill.hinohara.tokyo.jp/

Hossawa no taki - Tokyo

[viewpoint]
- Hossawa waterfall
- Hinohara tofu shop
- Wood craft shop Mori no sasayaki

[how to get there]
By public transportation, 60 min from Tokyo to Oume and 12 min by JR itsukaichi-line to Musashi-itsukashi. Then get on a Nishi Tokyo Bus to Hossawa-no-taki.(25min)

[personal recommendation]
Access : ★★★★☆
Hearing :★★★★☆

10 minutes walk from a bus stop leads you to Hossawa waterfall that is only listed in Japan 100 selected water falls in Tokyo.

I have never seen such a spiritual waterfall. This is beyond my description.. Try to say I feel the pure power of nature.

The lighting up show is held after nightfall everyday in summer.

The map shows there are a lot of waterfalls in Hinohara-mura.

Hossawa no taki

The store of hand made crafts on the way to the waterfall from the entrance.

In front of the store

The plum flower was blooming when we went there.

Ryuzu no taki - Tochigi

[viewpoint]
- Ryuzu waterfall
- Kegon waterfall(車で10分)
- Yuba-don(Yuba is soy milk skin)

[how to get there]
Shinkansen super express from Tokyo will bring you to Utsunomiya for 50 min. Take JR Nikko line to Nikko at utsunomita station. After 45 min, transfer to a bus to Oku Nikko.

[personal recommendation]
Access：★★★☆☆
Healing：★★★☆☆

Ryuzu no taki is list on the 100 selected waterfalls in Japan. It take just 10 min by car from one of the most famous Japanese waterfall, Kegon no taki.
This is not like a waterfall but like a big water slider. No one can not play with this slider since vast volume of water is sliding down.

That day was cold enough for the waterfall to be frozen.

We also visited Kegon no taki that was so great that we can get that it was called one of the greatest waterfall in Japan.

Ryuzu no taki

Big volume of the water

Park beside of the waterfall

The park was covered with the snow beautifully.

Recommended restaurant which is located in front of Kegon no taki car park.


Yuba bowl. Soba is also good choice.

Kegon no taki






[Information]
日光観光協会
http://www.nikko-jp.org/perfect/chuzenji/ryuzunotaki.html

Nikko kakure santaki - Tochigi

[Point of view]
- Otsuji water fall
- Tamadare water fall
- Makkura water fall

[access]
50 min on Shinkansen from Tokyo to Utsunomiya and then take JR Nikko line to Nikko. It takes 45 minutes. At last, 15 minutes by Bus


[personal recommendation rate]
Access：★★★★☆
Hearing：★★★★☆

Get off the bus on the bus station named Kakure-Santaki. It is the entrance of three water falls. 15 min walk takes you to the sign of Otsujiga water fall. Following the sign, enter unpaved road and going forward about 10 min, you can find the water fall.

It is 15 meters height from the bottom to the top. Besides the water fall, ther is no sound.
You can still go ahead for 15 min walk to next water fall, Tamadare water fall. It is very scenic place with the wide-spreaded water fall.

Then back to the sign and walk through paved road about 15 min to Makkura water fall.
You will see a black valley and a waterfall.

There is no similarity among the three waterfalls.


The bus stop

The sign to waterfalls

Otsuji waterfall

We had a good time with just seeing the waterfall and listening to the sound of the water flow.

The water flow on mosses. It was beautifully green.

Tamadare waterfall.
If you visit there in a rainy season or summer, you will see bigger water flow.
Tamadare waterfall.

Makkura waterfall.


[Information]
http://e-hiking.jp/kirifuri/kirifuri_3fall/map.html

Mitokuyama Sanbutsuji Temple - Tottori

[Point of View]
- Nageiredo temple (national treasure)
- Jizodo temple , Monjudo temple (national important cultural properties)
- Misasa Hot Springs

[Getting there]
Approximately 90 minutes from Narita Airport to Tottori Airport by airplane, and 90 minutes to the entrance of Mitokuyama Sanbutsuji Temple by car. Or 20 minutes from Tottori airport to Tottori JR station by shuttle bus and 50 minutes to Kurayoshi by JR Tottori Liner and then 40 minutes by bus.
To misasa hot springs, it takes 15minutes by bus.

[Personal Recommendation]
Access：★★★★☆
Refreshment：★★★★☆

The temple is located on the top of Mt.Mitokuyama(900 meters altitude) where is in the center of Tottori prefecture.
It takes 60 minutes from the entrance to the Nageiredo hall by foot. The road is pretty treacherous because they are very steep and precipitous slopes. So trekking shoes are definitely required or you will be asked to put Warajis(sandals made from straw rope) on.
On the way to the top, you can see many temples.

YOU CAN NOT ENTER THE MOUNTAIN BY YOURSELF. YOU NEED A COMPANY.

It was a very tough experience to climb up to the top but once I reached the temple, I forgot tiredness. Nobody is able to go into the mysterious temple. How it was build, who build, what it is for are still unknown.

A lot of footmarks on rocks.

Cliff in front of Monju temple.


Monju temple.

Nageiredo temple.





[Information]
miasa onsen kyokai 0858-43-0431
mitokuyama santokuji 0858-43-2666

Ametaki - Tottori

[Point of view]
- Amataki (rain waterfall)
- Karoichi fisherman's warf

[getting there]
Take an air way to Tottori Airport from Narita. It takes one and half hour. My recommendation from the air port to anywhere is a car. One hour to Karoichi and Amataki by car.

[personal reccomendation rate]
Access：★★★☆☆
Hearing：★★★★☆

Amataki is registered in 100 greatest waterfalls in Japan. You can go on the floor of the waterfall and look up the 4 meter wide and 40 meter height beautiful water falling.
It surrounds by small valley covered with mossy green carpet.

At Karoichi, you can enjoy lots of fresh seafood, especially big crabs in winter
And oysters in summer.

Rain waterfall in rainy day. All trees and mosses were moisten and seemed to have a good time for refreshment.


It says this water fall is for beautiful woman:)

Beautiful moss.


Crabs!



[Information]
Karoichi
0857-38-8866

Hondoji temple - Chiba

[Point of View]
- the garden at Hondoji temple
- stone-paved approach from Kitakoganei Station

[Getting there]
By public transportation:
Approximately 10 minutes by the JR Yamanote Line from Tokyo Station to Nishi Nippori Station and about 28 minutes by the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line to Kitakoganei Station. Then a 10 minute walk to Hondoji temple.

[Personal Recommendation]
Access：★★★★☆
Refreshment：★★★★☆

In early December, I took a day off to meet one of my friends, Koji who I get along with well.
He brought me to Hondoji temple because he loves nature too and the temple is famous for its seasonally blooming trees and flowers and the beautiful coloured leaves.

It was a good day!
The maple and ginkgo leaves turn a beautiful deep red, yellow, and orange in autumn.
Besides this, you can enjoy cherry blossoms and multi-hued hydrangeas at the temple in other seasons.

The blanket of leaves looked like a colourful carpet.

Anywhere at the temple would be picture-perfect.







[Information]
Hondo tempple
047-341-0405（only in June and November）
http://www.hondoji.com/