Otonashi Waterfall (Otonoashi-no-taki [音無の滝]; "Soundless Waterfall")

Ohara / Sanzen-in Temple, Kyoto, Japan

About Otonashi Waterfall (Otonoashi-no-taki [音無の滝]; “Soundless Waterfall”)

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Otonashi Waterfall (Otonashi-no-taki [音無の滝]; also Otonashi Falls; translated as the “Soundless Waterfall”) was a quaint and intimate waterfall near the Sanzen-in Temple on the northeastern outskirts of Kyoto.

This waterfall didn’t knock our socks off with a modest 10m height with a somewhat underwhelming flow.

Otonashi_Waterfall_047_10232016 - Otonashi Waterfall
Otonashi Waterfall

However, this was really my waterfalling excuse to explore the zen-like atmosphere of the Sanzen-in Temple while having a more peaceful experience outside of Kyoto’s usual tourist haunts.

Indeed, I wondered of all the people visiting typical Kyoto sights like the Fushimi Shrine, the Nijo Castle, the Kinkakuji Shrine, the Kiyomizu Dera, the Gion District, and more, how many of them have also visited the Sanzen-in Temple?

I only made myself aware of exploring this possibility after doing a double-take on our first trip to Japan after consulting an old copy of our Japan Lonely Planet book.

It referred to a waterfall in the context of a visit to the very atmospheric and zen-inducing atmosphere of the Sanzen-in Temple.

Sanzen-in_019_10232016 - Inside the zen-inducing pseudo-interior of the Sanzen-in Temple, which was the main attraction before the Otonashi Waterfall
Inside the zen-inducing pseudo-interior of the Sanzen-in Temple, which was the main attraction before the Otonashi Waterfall

So when I finally had an opportunity to come back and explore this part of Japan once again, I jumped at the chance to see a quieter side of Kyoto in the suburb of Ohara.

Walking to the Otonashi Waterfall

We’ve seen literature claiming that the hike from the Sanzen-in Temple to the Otonashi Waterfall was as little as 10-15 minutes in each direction.

However, in our experience, it took more like 45-60 minutes round trip (or close to 30 minutes in each direction).

According to my GPS logs, the hike was on the order of 750m or so in each direction or 1.5km round trip.

Otonashi_Waterfall_009_10232016 - Walking around the exterior of the Sanzen-in Temple in pursuit of the Otonashi Waterfall
Walking around the exterior of the Sanzen-in Temple in pursuit of the Otonashi Waterfall

The path was gently uphill initially on a narrow paved road skirting the southern boundary of the Sanzen-in Temple complex then towards the end of the pavement.

The road passed by a few more atmospheric smaller temples and shrines before getting onto a more conventional dirt trail around 400m or so from the shops fronting the Sanzen-in Temple complex.

By the way, the actual trail to the waterfall was just past the last of the smaller temples and shrines along this narrow road (one of the temples I believe was called the Raigo-in Temple).

The trail went amongst a pleasingly naturesque landscape of tall trees and mostly silence broken by the sounds of leaves rustling against the breeze.

Otonashi_Waterfall_028_10232016 - Mom walking over a bridge traversing the Ryogawa while pursuing the Otonashi Waterfall
Mom walking over a bridge traversing the Ryogawa while pursuing the Otonashi Waterfall

Shortly after the trail crossed over a small bridge, it then ascended on the other side of the gurgling stream past a manmade dam or wall.

Continuing uphill for another 100m or more, we eventually arrived at the miniscule Otonashi Waterfall.

It appeared that the trail we were on continued on to the left of this waterfall.

According to my maps, it would have eventually reached the Daiosan Mountain at over 600m I believe.

Otonashi_Waterfall_048_10232016 - Finally making it up to the Otonashi Waterfall
Finally making it up to the Otonashi Waterfall

The interpretive signs by the falls was completely in Japanese so I couldn’t readily tell what else was special about it.

After all, I was especially keen to understand why they called this the “Soundless Waterfall” though I don’t think I ever got my answer.

Prioritizing the Sanzen-in Temple before the Otonashi Waterfall

Finally, we should mention that since our visit happened in the mid- to late afternoon, my Mom and I actually visited the Sanzen-in Temple first.

That was because we knew that it had limited opening hours.

Sanzen-in_092_10232016 - Some additional temples and shrines outside of the main facility within the Sanzen-in Temple complex
Some additional temples and shrines outside of the main facility within the Sanzen-in Temple complex

The same was true for the smaller shrines and temples on the path to the Otonashi Waterfall.

However, the waterfall itself did not have such a time restriction.

Sure enough, all the shrines and temples were open when we started the hike to the Otonashi Waterfall around 3:30pm.

However, we definitely noticed that the smaller temples and shrines were closed after 4pm when we were making our way back to the car.

Sanzen-in_025_10232016 - Checking out the well-manicured gardens from within the Sanzen-in Temple complex
Checking out the well-manicured gardens from within the Sanzen-in Temple complex

So that’s something to keep in mind if you’re on a time constraint and you happened to be in a similar situation as us.

Authorities

The Otonashi Waterfall resides by the Sanzen-in Temple in Ohara, which was a suburb to the northeast of Kyoto, Japan. It is administered by the Kyoto Prefectural Government. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the Sanzen-in Temple website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: sanzen,sanzenin, kyoto, ohara, waterfall, japan, temple, shrine



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