Fudo Falls (Hachimantai)

Fudo Falls is a waterfall about 15 meters high in Takahata, Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture. It falls in three tiers on the Kunitaru-sawa stream, the upper reaches of the Fudo River in the Appi River system. It is listed among Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls and Iwate's 20 Famous Waters, and lies at the back of the grounds of Sakuramatsu Shrine.

The falls were long a training site for mountain ascetics. In the Edo period the place was known as "Sakuramatsu Fudo Myoo", and in 1907 it became a shrine whose chief deity is Seoritsuhime. One tale about the name says villagers saw cherry blossoms on a pine tree and took it as a good omen. In 1934 a stone statue of Fudo Myoo was set on the left bank of the falls.

The main attraction is the 15-meter, three-tiered fall itself. The shrine sits beneath the rock wall beside the falls, and in its grounds is a "tree of good matches" where the trunks of two maples are tied together. Each year on May 3 a festival called Fudo no Taki Matsuri is held with the shrine's annual rites, with a rice-planting dance offered.

From National Route 282, turn southeast and follow the signs for about 4 km to Sakuramatsu Shrine. Park at the free lot at Sakuramatsu Park and walk the approach for about five minutes. By car it is about 5 km from the Ashiro IC on the Tohoku Expressway; by train, about 10 minutes by taxi from Araya-Shinmachi Station. You approach on foot, so wear comfortable shoes. We could not confirm road conditions in winter, so check with the Hachimantai Tourism Association (0195-78-3500) before a winter visit. Allow 30 to 60 minutes.

Nearby are Appi Kogen Ski Resort (about 10 km), Mt. Hachimantai (about 21 km) and Tamagawa Onsen (about 31 km). The falls were also a filming location for a JR East "Let's go, Tohoku" commercial in summer 2018.