If you’re looking for a reason to rent a car while exploring Shimane, this is it. While not a destination filled with lights, glamor or action, the lack there of is what makes this place a perfect morning jolt for you and yours. On this day in time, mates Rob, Shane, Blake and I were heading to a Hiroshima Carp baseball game, when we got sidetracked along the way.
Already behind schedule, we made our way South through the mountains on Route 54. I’d done this trip before, so I knew what to expect. Slow, but steady traffic all the way into Hiroshima City. We were about halfway along when Rob mentioned a nearby park. He said we HAD to pull over for just a tick. Looking at my watch, I decided a stretch of the legs wouldn’t hurt.
We parked in front of an empty shack, next to it, a map of the grounds. We began the trek through the park, gradually increasing altitude. Eventually, the path turned into a manmade walkway and next, a suspension bridge. Where on earth were we going?! We followed alongside a stream, but soon the sound of rushing water disturbed the emptiness.
After a few more minutes of hiking, we came upon what Rob had remembered so strongly, what drew him back today, the Yaedaki Fall. Water pushed up and over the rock ledge, creating a mist that covered the area. Completely unprepared for swimming, we stripped down to our shorts and hopped into the basin. Rob claimed it possible to climb up the slippery rocks, but how?
A metal chain is strung along the left–hand side of the fall. If I’d gone alone, I never would have seen it. I’d probably not have even gotten wet! But this was a guys weekend and we were explorers! The closer we got to the top, the colder the water. At level two, the icy pool is fed from directly overhead, that mist making it impossible to see the exact edge. We took turns jumping in and attempting flips. We considered jumping to the basin, but feared the water too shallow below. (Yeah, don’t do that!)
The Yaedaki Fall is one of those special places you could drive by a thousand and one times, and never know it lies just beyond the tree line. So our plans got put off and I ended up giving away my ticket to someone who’d never seen a baseball game. A fair trade for someone who’d never swam a waterfall. And now, I’ve a grand memory shared with friends from all over the world.
When you work up the courage to put that International Driver’s License to use, head to Unnan and sneak into a world few have known at Yaedaki Fall.
