Tokyo’s Famed Hossawa Falls
One thing that never fails to amaze me about living in Tokyo is unearthing its hidden natural treasures. Many readers this would be probably surprised to learn that Tokyo contains one of the One Hundred Waterfalls of Japan, The Hossawa Falls 払沢の滝 Hossawa no taki. On my recent hike to Mt. Sengenrei 浅間嶺 I had the chance to pass them by and was not disappointed. The falls located in Hinohara Village on the outskirts of Tokyo rise some 62 metres cascading into the plunge pool below. The falls add further interest in winter where they often freeze over fuelling their spectacle. One thing I found an amusing was an esoteric old sign erected by the Hinohara Village Office asking ‘foreigners’ to obey the rules such as; not camping near the waterfall and climbing up the sides. The falls are an easy 10 minute walk from the bus stop following a well-worn path. On the way back look for an oddly shaped tea house sporting a garish face and an incongruously looking post office built back in 1929.
Access: take a 20 minute bus ride from Musashi-Itsukaichi Station (bus stop 1) and get off at the Hossawa no taki iriguchi bus stop.
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Hi there! Thank you for posting this.. I was wondering… May I ask long did it took to reach the actual main waterfall area from the cark park (I’m guessing on foot)? Would be great to know at your earliest convenience. Cheers in advance… Boa 🙂
Hi Boa, sure it was an easy 15 minute walk from the Hossawa-no-taki-iriguchi bus stop.
Hi David. Is it walkable from Musashi Itsukaichi station?
Dylan, I’ve heard of people doing that but wouldn’t recommend it as its 9.7 km with a walking time of 2 hours or more!