About Yoro Waterfall (Yoro-no-taki [養老の滝])
The Yoro Waterfall (Yoro-no-taki [養老の滝]; Yoro Falls or Waterfall of Yoro) felt like a popular locals attraction as my parents and I definitely noticed that even though it was very busy, practically none of the visitors except us were foreign tourists. Indeed, we noticed lots of families (including children and elders) visiting the falls though they appeared to come mostly from a much longer but flatter trail along the Takidani Stream. We would later find out that these folks came from the much busier Yoro Park, which probably harbored more activities, amenities, and even campgrounds compared to the car park and route that we took. In fact, we took the shortest path to the falls, but the drive to get up to that car park was very narrow and winding, and it was pretty pricey to boot (see directions below). Nevertheless, this waterfall seemed to be quite the weekend hangout spot, and it seemed to be the perfect antidote for the heavily industrialized scenery further down the mountain towards the western outskirts of Nagoya.
However, the popularity of this waterfall probably had more to do with the properties of the water itself. According to the signage along the trail, the Emperor Gensyo of the Nara Period claimed that the water here would cure any disease as well as reverse aging (a “Fountain of Youth” if you will). There was a Shinto Shrine built 500m further downstream of the falls in the year 717, and I believe we also saw that shrine during our short waterfall hike. Moreover, the water was also said to be the key ingredient to the local Yoro Cider. We didn’t have the fortune of trying it out (as we weren’t aware of it at the time), but maybe we might have a go next time. Even one legend claimed that the water from this falls could be made into sake. Anyways, the waters of the Takidani Stream were said to have been filtered through the mineral-laced undersurface of Mt Yoro, and I guess it was these minerals that might have given rise to the healing properties of the water here.
Our hike from the nearest car park to here was only about 500m round trip. It was a short upside down hike descending a sloped path as well as some steps before reaching a trail junction near a shrine (the one I’m suspecting was the one mentioned in the interpretive sign). We then turned right and descended towards a flat area where there were benches and some yakitori stands. At the far end of the flat area were some big boulders as well as the plunge pool fronting the Yoro Waterfall. There was also a little informal memorial next to the pool as well as some benches for resting or just enjoying the scene.
When we became aware that most of the foot traffic was coming from a different trail that led up to this falls, we actually spent some time descending the trail along the Takidani Stream. In addition to an alternate view of the waterfall with some intermediate cascades (see the photo at the top of this page), we also walked by some buildings as well as a smoking area (which we thought was quite unusual for a forested area like this). We didn’t make it all the way to the end of this other trail because it turned out that Yoro Park was where the trail went, and it was ultimately over 2km away in each direction (or 4km round trip). Had we started the hike from there instead of the nearest car park, then I probably would have changed the difficulty rating to 2.5 or 3 instead of 1.5.
Related Trip Reports
Related Top 10 Lists
No Posts Found
Related Itineraries
Trip Planning Resources
Nearby Accommodations
This content is for subscribers only. See Membership Options.Featured Images and Nearby Attractions
This content is for subscribers only. See Membership Options.Visitor Comments:
Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...No users have replied to the content on this page
Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:
If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall
Nearest Waterfalls
