Fukiware Waterfalls

This 7-meter-high, 30-meter-wide waterfall is also known as the “Niagara of the East.

Visitors can experience the power of the wild falls as they fall and splash with the roar of water amidst beautiful scenery. On hot summer days, the natural mist from the falls will refresh you.

The waterfall is named after the clear stream of the Katashinagawa River, which flows through a bed of tuff and granite, eroding the softer parts and creating cracks that look like a large rock blowing apart. It is designated as a natural monument and a place of scenic beauty.

The trail crosses Katashina Gorge (Fukiwari Gorge), a V-shaped valley made of 9-million-year-old fused tuff that was eroded by the Katashina River, and the surrounding area is 1.5 km long with oddly-shaped rocks. Visitors can get in touch with Tone’s nature while strolling along the well-maintained promenade.

There are many sights where visitors can enjoy the unique beauty of the valley, including the spectacularly scenic 8-meter-high, 6-meter-wide “Masutobi Falls,” the “Lion Rock,” a cluster of rock walls, and “Hannya Rock,” a rare rock carved in the shape of Hannya, among others. The area looks even more attractive during the season of fresh green leaves and autumn foliage.

After enjoying the waterfalls, take a dip in the Roujin Onsen hot spring to heal your body and soul. However, the promenade is closed during winter (mid-December to March of the following year).

The water volume is always high at Fukiwari Falls, and due to water erosion, the location of the falls has been moving upstream year by year, and the location of the falls will probably change in the future.

Fukiwari Stream and Fukiwari Falls

Katashinagawa forms a valley from the confluence of the Ararigawa River upstream to the confluence of the Kurihara River downstream. This valley is called Fukiwari-kei. The valley is carved out by tuff and fused tuff, and the right bank of the valley is dominated by Byobu-iwa (folding screen) rocks. The riverbed is tuff and flat in many places, and a particularly wide area is called Senjojiki. Potholes are distributed in an area of about 1.5 km from the Fukiwari Falls to Nigura-ishi, and they are almost circular in shape and scattered in a direction perpendicular to the river flow. The tuff in the river bed crosses the fault, and siliceous and calcareous mineral fluids have entered the area, hardening the area about 1 m on either side of the fault and forming the protruding folding screen and lion rocks. The Fukiwari Fall is also called “Fukiwari Fall” because the waterfall appears to fall down the side of the U-shaped valley that was formed along the break in the fault. There is a walking trail around the valley, and three viewing platforms from which visitors can view the valley from different angles.

Fukiwari Falls

Fukiwari Falls is a large waterfall more than 7 meters high and 30 meters wide, and is also known as the Niagara of the East. The cracks in the bedrock were formed over a period of about 10,000 years.

The soft parts of the riverbed eroded away, creating many cracks, and the large cracks in the riverbed form the waterfall, which looks like a huge rock that has blown apart.

This academically valuable waterfall is visited by many people. In the fresh green season, the waterfall receives melting snow as a dynamic waterfall, and in the fall, it is colored with autumn leaves along with the beauty of the valley. Visitors can enjoy a different look each season.

Legend of Ryugu

There is also a legend of Ryugu (Dragon Palace) at Fukiwari Falls. It is said that the basin of the waterfall leads to Ryugu (the dragon palace), and that villagers used to throw letters into the basin of the waterfall whenever they had a special occasion to celebrate, and borrowed bowls and dishes from the dragon palace.

However, it is said that they forgot to return the bowls once, and thereafter they could no longer borrow them. The forgotten bowl is called “Ryugu’s bowl” and is still carefully preserved.

Walkway to the waterfall

Souvenir shops and other shops line the path.

Masutobi no Taki Waterfall

Masutobi no Taki is the first waterfall that appears on the promenade in the lower part of Fukiwari Gorge. Trout used to come up the Katashinagawa River, a tributary of the Tone River. However, when they reached this waterfall, there was a step and the trout were unable to continue upstream, so they desperately tried to jump over it. This scene gave rise to the name “Masubi no Taki” (Trout Jumping Waterfall). Masubinotaki Falls is 15 meters high and more than 6 meters wide.

Hannya Iwa

The next point of interest along the trail is Hannya Iwa, a rocky outcrop rising from the right bank of the river. The name comes from the rock wall rising from the right bank, which resembles the face of Hannya. It looks like a powerful “guardian” protecting Fukiwari Falls.

Around Hannya-iwa, there is a series of oddly shaped rocks stretching several tens of meters. The “rock wall group” is one of the highlights of the area. The boardwalk in this area is very narrow, so please be considerate when passing each other.

Potholes

Potholes are holes in the bottom of the river that are formed when rocks are dug into the hollows of the riverbed by the force of the water as it rotates and digs into the rocks. Potholes of various sizes can be seen downstream of Fukiwari Falls due to the skillful formation of water and debris.

Folding screen rock

Byoubu Iwa is a huge towering rock, so named because of its resemblance to a folding screen. It is a rock formed by pyroclastic flows that solidified about 8.5 million years ago.

Walking Trail

After visiting Fukiwari Falls, cross Ukishima Bridge to Ukishima Kannondou. Walking slowly along the well-maintained promenade, you can get a good view of the falls from the Kannbakudai. The walk will take about one hour while enjoying the forest and listening to the sound of the waterfall.

Ukishima Bridge

You can see fresh greenery, autumn leaves, and different looks in each season. Please visit many times at different times of the year.

Ukishima Kannon-do Temple

The Ukishima Nyoirin Kannon is said to have been created by the master craftsman Jingoro Hidari. Jingoro participated in the construction of Nikko Toshogu Shrine during the Kan’ei period as a master sculptor, and is said to have completed several thousand sculptures, including the famous “Sleeping Cat”. Although it is not clear when he visited this area, it is said that he visited Nikko several times after the completion of Nikko Toshogu. It is believed that on his way back to Nikko, he may have crossed the Kinsei Pass, passed through this area, stayed overnight at Oigaijuku, and carved this statue of the Kannon (said to be an overnight job by Jingoro Hidari).

In support of this theory, in recent years, a fine Ebisu-sama wood fish and Daikoku-sama ink painting were found in the neighboring village of Katashina, and the ink painting was signed by Sa Jingoro in 1645. These works are now on display at the Senmei Museum of Art in Higashi Ogawa.

The Ukishima Kannon statue is now painted in gold leaf, but was originally carved from white wood. However, in 1893, a certain person commissioned the statue to be gilded by the Ishimaru family of painters, and never showed up to receive it, and the Ishimaru family kept it carefully until 1952. During that time, the Ishimaru family’s house burned down during the Maebashi Air Raid of 1945, but his wife carefully carried the statue of the Kannon out of the house and it survived the fire. In March 1952, the statue was returned to its original location, welcomed by many people, but at that time it had been replaced by a gold leaf-lacquered statue. It was temporarily enshrined at Kaizo-ji Temple in Oigai, but on April 26, 1990, the day Ukishima Bridge was opened to traffic, it was enshrined at its current location for the first time in 97 years.

The temple was founded in 795 (Enryaku 14), during the early Heian period, by Kannon Fudo Konsamon Daishi, and later, in 1469 (Bunmei 8), Koumi Sumi Shinkai Shishi reestablished the principal image. Furthermore, in 1534, the temple hall was reconstructed. However, due to its advanced age, it was newly built in May 1984, almost in its original form, and remains in use to this day.

The famous “Sleeping Cat” and other sculptures by master craftsmen, said to have been made by Jingoro Sa, are enshrined in the Kannon Hall. the Ukishima Kannon Spring Festival is held in April, and the Fukiwari Kannon Festival is held in October.

Fukiwari Bridge

The Fukiwabashi Bridge is a bridge that allows visitors to view the “married couple rocks” from different angles.

Poem Path

The excellent works of the “National Fukiawase Haiku Contest” are exhibited here.

Daiichikanbaku-daiichi Kanpakudai

Visitors can experience the grandeur of the Fukiwari Falls spreading out below by comparing it with the appearance of people.

Junisama

It takes approximately one hour to reach this point. You will be exhilarated by the beautiful scenery that will make you forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life.