One of the more well known destinations in Nakatsugawa is Tsukechi Gorge, a deep Japanese cypress forest valley laden with clean, clear mountain streams and waterfalls forging the headwaters of the Tsukechi River. Deep within Tsukechi Gorge is “Fudo taki” which means “Unmoving Waterfall”. How can a moving object so beautiful be “unmoving”?
One warm day I got in my car and drove to Fudo taki to meet students of mine who were going to go camping at one of the many grounds nearby. Immediately after turning off the 257 near Kuraya Onsen I started going down a winding road into the valley. The road didn’t stay two lanes the whole way but luckily when a car showed up, there was always space to pull over.
Within 10 minutes of getting off the main road I pulled up to the entrance of Fudo Waterfall. There is a small parking lot for about 20 cars but also a few places for buses, if you can believe they can drive the narrow road. The sun was shining bright and was just warm enough to not need a jacket. My students were assembled in front of the small souvenir shop. After some pleasantries we started our short hike to the falls.
The entrance was lined with amazing flowers and a small water feature. We walked down the narrow path in single file. Soon we came to a small suspension bridge with a sign saying “one at a time”. The children went in groups of three. The teacher said, “ Adults go one by one. If everyone goes across at once, the rhythm could cause it to collapse!” I crossed and understood. The path wound through the forest for about 100 meters before reaching a nice observation deck opening onto waterfall basin.
Now why is it “unmoving”. Geology time! There are two waterfalls in Tsukechi Gorge; Fudo Taki and Sendaru Taki. The rocks under Sendaru taki quickly eroded. I was told that thirty years ago, this waterfall was about five meters ahead of where it is today. Fudo Taki on the other hand has seen very little erosion, thus it is not moving.
The sun shone through the trees and reflected onto the pool as the water came falling down seven meters like a in a great wide sheet. I sat down on a rock to just take in the view and scent of fresh water and wood.
After about twenty minutes (and a few photos with students), we started our way back to the buses. This time we took a different route which went up to a suspension bridge that spanned about fifteen meters above the river offering a straight down view of the falls. Again we crossed in small groups or one at a time. This bridge is a little scary. If you are afraid of heights or uneasy with movement, return via the small bridge. On the opposite side, we could see the very top of the falls and across to where we had been. Finally we followed an even path through the forest back to the entrance.
If you are driving through Gifu, stop off at Fudo Taki for a leg stretch and maybe a picnic. It is not too far out of the way and definitely worth it.
