Ryuokyo Gorge

Locally knownKnown to people who live here. Not in the international guidebooks.

Researched and written by Hinato

RyuokyogorgeKinugawahikingNikko

Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · original

Ryuokyo Gorge looks different depending on the season, the weather, and the time of day — none of which a single photo can tell you.

Around twenty-two million years ago this was seabed, and undersea volcanism laid down the rock that the Kinugawa has since cut a gorge through. The result runs roughly three kilometres between Kawaji and Kinugawa hot springs: green water, pale eroded rock in strange forms, and a walking trail cut along the bank.

What makes Ryuokyo unusually easy is that it has its own station. The Yagan Railway stops at Ryuokyo, there is a free municipal car park for about a hundred cars, and the trailhead is a few steps away. Ten minutes down a switchback path is the Nijimi Falls, a twenty-metre fall named for the rainbows that appear in it when the sun catches the spray. From there you can turn back for a short walk, or keep going the full seven kilometres to Kawaji, which takes three to four hours on a route with very little climbing.

Before you go

Access hours

Trail open at all times | Daylight only in practice

Closed: Open year-round | Sections may be closed after heavy rain or in snow

Entry fee

Free | Free municipal parking

Best time to visit

Late October–early November for autumn colour | Late April–May for fresh green

Time to allow

45 minutes to Nijimi Falls and back | 3–4 hours for the full traverse to Kawaji

Making the trip

Getting there in detail

Fujihara, Nikko. Ryuokyo Station on the Yagan Railway Aizu-Kinugawa Line is at the trailhead, with a free municipal car park for around 100 cars. Free to walk. Nijimi Falls is about 10 minutes down from the trailhead; the full route through to Kawaji Onsen is roughly 7 km and takes 3–4 hours. Walking shoes recommended — the path is a mountain trail, not a promenade.

What to bring

**Decide how far before you start down.** Ten minutes gets you the falls and back up in half an hour. The full traverse to Kawaji is three to four hours one way and you will want to return by train rather than walk it twice — check the Yagan Railway timetable first, because services are sparse. **Down then up.** From the car park the trail drops to the river, so the effort is on the return. This catches out people who walk further than they intended. **Nijimi Falls wants sun.** The rainbow the fall is named for needs direct sunlight on the spray, which in this valley means the middle of the day rather than early or late. **Proper shoes.** Despite the station and the car park this is a mountain path with roots, steps and wet rock. Trainers at minimum; not sandals. **Autumn is the season.** Colour comes in from late October and the combination of green water and turning trees is the postcard. It is also when the small car park fills at weekends.

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