To-no-Hetsuri

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

Researched and written by Hinato

To-no-Hetsurinatural monumentOkawa riverShimogoeroded cliff

Photo: Kohei Fujii / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · original

What sets To-no-Hetsuri apart from other natural sites in Fukushima is how much depends on conditions outside anyone's control.

Hetsuri is an Aizu dialect word for a cliff along a river, and this one has been cut by the Okawa for more than a million years into a row of thirteen towers of soft rock, undercut at the base so that they lean out over the green water. It is a national natural monument.

A suspension bridge crosses to the foot of the cliff and a ledge path runs along the base of the towers, worn into the rock, with a small shrine set into a hollow at one end. The site itself is free — the charge is for parking, and several of the shops at the entrance will waive it against a purchase. It is one stop down the Aizu Railway from the thatched station at Yunokami Onsen, and the two are usually done together.

Plan your visit

Time to allow

45–60 minutes

Hours

Open access | Daylight only

Closed: Open year-round | Ledge path closes after heavy rain, snow or rockfall

Best time to visit

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

Entry fee

Free | Parking around ¥300, waived by some shops against a purchase

Getting out there

Access notes

Yagoshima, Shimogo, Minamiaizu District. About a short walk from To-no-Hetsuri Station on the Aizu Railway Aizu Line, or by car from the Aizu-Wakamatsu direction on Route 121. The site and the suspension bridge are free; parking is charged, typically around ¥300, and some souvenir shops waive it against a purchase of about ¥1,000. The ledge path along the base of the cliff can be closed after heavy rain, snow or rockfall.

Local knowledge

**The site is free — parking is not.** Around ¥300 at the paid lots, waived by several of the shops if you buy something. This catches people out in both directions. **The ledge path closes.** Rain, snow and rockfall shut the walk along the base of the towers, sometimes for extended periods, while the bridge and viewpoint stay open. Check before making a special trip for the path. **Autumn is the season.** Late October to early November, when the red on the cliff top sits over the pale rock and green water. It is also when the car park fills. **One stop from Yunokami Onsen.** The thatched station is a few minutes up the line and the two are the standard pairing on an Aizu Railway day. **Thirteen towers, undercut at the base.** Soft rock eroded from below over a million years. Standing on the ledge underneath them is the point of the visit.

View on Google Maps