Joren Falls
浄蓮の滝34°52′ N 138°55′ EWaterfall30 min
Joren Falls drops 25 metres off a basalt cliff into a fern-hung gorge on the upper Kano River in Izu, and suits a 30-minute leg stretch on any drive or ride over Amagi; the price is 200 steps back up from the pool.
Photo Zairon · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Access
About 200 steps lead down from the car park to the foot of the falls, a walk of about five minutes, and you climb them again on the way back. A newer viewing deck lets you look down on the falls from the top.
The falls are 25 metres high and 7 metres wide, and Japan lists them among its hundred finest waterfalls. Haikomochi-shida, a fern protected as a natural monument, grows in colonies on the basalt behind the water. Downstream of the pool lies a trout-fishing ground, and the wasabi terraces of Amagi line the stream.
Those wasabi beds belong to Shizuoka's traditional water-grown wasabi system, which the UN Food and Agriculture Organization lists as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. The visitor centre at the top has sold wasabi soft-serve for more than 40 years and says it was the first in Izu to do so. Sayuri Ishikawa sings of the falls in the enka song Amagi-goe, and a stone carved with her song stands at the photo point.
Swimming and diving are banned. The river below the falls is a fishing ground, so wading in is off limits as well. The operator also bans drones, since the gorge is too narrow to fly one safely.
Worth knowing
- On holiday weekends come early, because the car park of about 100 spaces fills.
- Try the green wasabi soft-serve at the visitor centre, which says it has sold it for more than 40 years.
Quick answers about Joren Fallsよくある質問
How high is Joren Falls?
Joren Falls is 25 metres high and 7 metres wide, on the upper Kano River in Izu city.
Is Joren Falls free to visit?
Yes. The falls, the car park and the toilets are free and open at all hours.
Can you swim at Joren Falls?
No. Swimming and diving are banned, and the river below is a fishing ground that visitors may not enter.
What are the opening hours of Joren Falls?
Joren Falls keeps these hours: Mon–Sun open at all hours.
How long do you need at Joren Falls?
Plan about 30 min at Joren Falls.
When is the best time to visit Joren Falls?
Joren Falls: After a run of rain the falls carry the most water. The spray keeps the gorge cool even in summer, and the visitor centre recommends the new-leaf season in the Amagi hills for walking.
Can you get to Joren Falls by bike?
The falls sit just off National Route 414 on the climb towards Amagi Pass. Lock up at the visitor centre car park and take the steps on foot.
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