Yuhi Falls

Yuhi Falls (Yuhi no Taki) hangs in the forested hills of Yakurasawa in Minamiashigara, on the upper Uchikawa River, a tributary of the Sakawa. At about 500 m above sea level, the fall drops roughly 23 m and is about 5 m wide, framed by cedar, zelkova and oak. The water falls in thin silken threads, and standing before the pool you are wrapped in cool air and the sound of water on rock.

The fall exists because of a fault where hard volcanic rock from the old Hakone outer rim meets softer mudstone and conglomerate. The Uchikawa has slowly worn away the soft side, leaving the volcanic rock as a cliff. It is counted as a geosite of the Hakone Geopark.

The origin of the name is uncertain. Some say it comes from the beauty of the falls in the evening sun, or from the sun appearing to set at the lip of the fall in mid-January; another theory holds that it was once called Yuhi no Taki, meaning the bold, male-looking falls.

The area is tied to the legend of Kintaro (Sakata no Kintoki), and the fall is said to be where he took his first bath. The forest road from the Jizodo bus stop passes the site of his birthplace and a large boulder where he is said to have played. A summer opening ceremony is held for the falls, a campground opens nearby in summer, and autumn leaves make the scene especially fine.

To get there, take the Izu-Hakone Railway to Daiyuzan Station, then a Hakone Tozan bus bound for Jizodo (about 25 minutes) and walk about 15 minutes. By car it is about 14 km from Oi-Matsuda IC on the Tomei Expressway. Allow around 1.5 to 2 hours, and wear shoes with good grip.