Ryusogataki Falls

Little knownBarely documented in English. This is the kind of place the site exists for.

Researched and written by Hinato

RyusogatakiwaterfallIkeda100 WaterfallsFukui

Photo: 藤谷良秀(Yoshihide Fujitani) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · original

Ryusogataki Falls is one of the reasons Fukui keeps coming up whenever the conversation turns to Japan's landscapes.

Sixty metres of water down a rock face in a narrow valley in Ikeda, one of the least populated municipalities in Fukui, and on the national list of a hundred notable waterfalls. What is unusual is how close the road runs: there is no hike at all — you park a hundred metres away and walk to the foot of it.

That convenience is offset by the road itself, which is narrow, winding and closes under snow from roughly late November or December through March. The valley is deep enough that the falls stay cool through August, and the water volume is reliable because the catchment above is forested. There are two small car parks, five and ten spaces, which tells you how many people are expected at once.

Plan your visit

Time to allow

30–45 minutes

Hours

Open access during daylight hours

Closed: Access roads generally closed by snow from late November or December to the end of March

Best time to visit

May for fresh green | August for the cool valley | Late October–November for autumn colour

Entry fee

Free | Small free car parks

Finding your way there

Directions

Hirose, Ikeda, Imadate District. Car required — from Fukui IC, from Sabae IC or from Takefu IC, via Prefectural Route 34 and Route 476. The approach roads are narrow in places. Free to visit. Two small car parks, about 5 spaces to the west and 10 to the east of the falls, with additional space about 100 m before and 50 m past. Roads generally closed by snow from late November or December to the end of March.

Local knowledge

**Winter closes the road.** Late November or December through March, depending on snowfall. There is no winter access. **The road is the difficulty, not the walk.** Narrow, winding mountain roads with limited passing places. The falls themselves are a hundred metres from where you park. **Fifteen parking spaces in total.** Across two small lots. On an autumn weekend that is not many, and there is nowhere else to leave a car. **Summer is when the valley earns it.** Sixty metres of falling water in a deep narrow valley is several degrees cooler than anywhere else in the prefecture in August. **Ikeda is worth the drive beyond the falls.** The village has kept a rural landscape almost intact and has an adventure park and a traditional noh stage; it is one of the emptiest parts of Fukui.

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