Said to be the most beautiful falls in the gorge of the Kawamata River, which flows from the Yatsugatake mountains. 10 m high and 15 m wide, they pour like silk threads between green rocks.
Part of the Kawamata River Gorge trail is closed. Check the latest information before you go.
How to enjoy it
Sit on the bench near the falls and watch the many thin streams run down the rock. These falls feel powerful and calm at the same time.
The falls are 10 m high and 15 m wide. Because the water pours like silk threads from the moss-green rocks, they were named “the falls a dragon breathes out”. Instead of one fierce drop, many small falls tumble step after step, like a Japanese garden.
From the car park, follow the sound of the stream for about 15 minutes to the falls. The riverside path is part of the Tokai Nature Trail; further on are spots such as the Senmaibuchi pool, and the path leads to Higashizawa Bridge, the “red bridge” (about 2 hours 30 minutes).
Part of the trail is closed and needs a detour. Check the latest information before you walk.
Along about 2 km of the Kawamata River there are separate sections for lure, fly and bait fishing, plus sections you can reserve for 2 hours. Stocked rainbow trout, iwana char and yamame trout bite, and you can grill your catch at the fish-grilling area. Barbecues are allowed too.
The Murayama Rokkason Weir, the main irrigation channel of the southern Yatsugatake slopes, draws on the upper Kawamata River and takes in the plentiful water of Doryu Falls too. In 2016 it became the first site in Yamanashi registered as a World Heritage Irrigation Structure, a list of historically valuable irrigation works.
The banks of the Kawamata River glow with fresh green and autumn leaves. Autumn colour usually peaks from late October to mid-November.
Hours
Open all day
Closed
Open all year (part of the Kawamata River Gorge trail is closed)
NotesPast Prefectural Road 28 the road is narrow, so please avoid vehicles larger than a standard car.
place-8007-hero.webpEat · Takane
Soft-serve and a café using milk from the farm.
Tip
The Highland Milk Stand uses milk from the farm next door. Try the soft-serve plain first to taste the milk itself. On a sunny day, eat it on the benches outside, watching the cows.
scenic-higashizawa-bridge-hero.webpSee · Oizumi
The “red bridge”, with the Yatsugatake mountains behind.
Tip
From the viewing area at the east end (the Kiyosato Station side), take in the bridge and the mountains together. Autumn, when the red bridge meets the coloured leaves, is the best time.
place-8022-hero.webpExperience · Oizumi
Ride calm horses through the highland forest.
Tip
Stroke the horse’s neck to say hello before you mount. Horses sense nerves, so take a deep breath first and yours will walk calmly. In the forest, listen to the hooves and the birds.
scenic-yatsugatake-kogen-bridge-hero.webpSee · Takane
The “yellow bridge”, with views of Yatsugatake, the Southern Alps and Mt. Fuji.
Tip
Park at the viewing car park on the Kiyosato Station side of the bridge and take in the bridge and the ranges. Yatsugatake lies to the north, the Southern Alps to the south-west and Mt. Fuji to the south, a different mountain each way you turn.
