Ryumon Waterfall (ryumon-no-taki [龍門の滝]

Nasukarasuyama / Taki, Tochigi, Japan

About Ryumon Waterfall (ryumon-no-taki [龍門の滝]

For Subscribers Only. See Membership Options.

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Ryumon Waterfall (ryumon-no-taki [龍門の滝]; “Dragon Gate Falls”) was an attractively wide waterfall spanning the Egawa River that had a bit of a semi-urban feel to it.

It’s said to have a height of about 20-25m with a width that could be as much as 60-65m in times of high flow.

Ryumon_Falls_042_04152023 - The Ryumon Waterfall in the Tochigi Prefecture
The Ryumon Waterfall in the Tochigi Prefecture

As you can see from the photo above, this waterfall didn’t have high enough flow during our mid-April 2023 visit to appear like a long, contiguous wall of water, but it was still attractive.

Moreover, you wouldn’t know it from all the green surrounding this waterfall, but it was surrounded by shops, a visitor center, the Takiheiji Temple, and even a railway.

It’s this infrastructure and proximity to Nasukarasuyama Town that gave me semi-urban vibes though the presence of vegetation really concealed a lot of the concrete jungle typically found in Japan’s more built-up areas.

Given its position to the east side of Honshu (east of Utsunomiya on Japan’s main island though still in the Tochigi Prefecture), it was a nice short stop for us that was somewhat on the way to the Narita International Airport starting from Nikko.

Ryumon_Falls_110_04152023 - Context of the Ryumon Waterfall with a walkway, an 'island', and lots of greenery somewhat concealing the semi-urban infrastructure around the park
Context of the Ryumon Waterfall with a walkway, an ‘island’, and lots of greenery somewhat concealing the semi-urban infrastructure around the park

This waterfall was not considered to be one of the Top 100 Waterfalls of Japan according to the Ministry of Environment in their landmark 1990 publication though it arguably could have belonged on that list.

However, there is actually another waterfall by the same name in the Kyushu Region, which is a part of that list, and that just goes to show you how special the waterfalls must be to belong there.

Experiencing the Ryumon Falls

From one of two car parks nearby the visitor center for the Ryumon Waterfall (see directions below), we basically walked across one of two bridges spanning the Egawa River upstream of the falls itself.

The first bridge was a road bridge leading to the closest car park while the other bridge was a pedestrian bridge sandwiched between some local shops.

Ryumon_Falls_011_04152023 - Walking over a pedestrian bridge over the Egawa River on the way to the Ryumon Waterfall from the spillover parking lot we had parked at
Walking over a pedestrian bridge over the Egawa River on the way to the Ryumon Waterfall from the spillover parking lot we had parked at

Once at the visitor center complex, there was a lollipop loop trail that descended from the visitor center with elevated angled views down towards the impressive waterfall.

At these elevated viewing angles, it’s possible to see the waterfall with passing cars on the access road as well as the odd train on the JR Karasuyama Line.

The loop trail descends towards steps that lead down to a low concrete bridge with holes in it to let water go past, but it did look like in times of high flow, this bridge could be inundated with the Egawa River.

Given the lower flow of our visit, however, we were able to walk right onto a dry “island” in the middle of the river right in front of the main section of the Ryumon Falls.

Ryumon_Falls_083_04152023 - Looking back across the Egawa River towards the Ryumon Falls fronted by the low concrete bridge over the Egawa River
Looking back across the Egawa River towards the Ryumon Falls fronted by the low concrete bridge over the Egawa River

We were also able to walk all the way across the river for a different perspective as well as the chance to see the falls with a remnant bloom of flowers.

After having our fill of the short lollipop loop route, we then went to the visitor center, where they had a terrace yielding a pleasing elevated and angled view down to the Ryumon Falls.

That terrace even included a purple door that might be useful for YouTube or TikTok videos (something our daughter figured out and got Julie to put into her Instagram Reels).

In any case, that was the extent of our visit, which took the better part of a leisurely hour though we easily could have extended it to include a visit to the Taki Shrine.

Authorities

The Ryumon Waterfall resides near the town of Nasukarasuyama, which was about an hour east of Utsunomiya in the Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It may be administered by the Nasukarasuyama City Government. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the Nasukarasuyama Tourism Association website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: tochigi, nasukarasuyama, taki, japan, waterfall, egawa river, utsunomiya, dragon gate, karasuyama, wide waterfall



Visitor Comments:

Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...

No users have replied to the content on this page


Share your thoughts about what you've read on this page

You must be logged in to submit content. Refresh this page after you have logged in.

Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:

If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...

No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall


Have you been to a waterfall? Submit a write-up/review and share your experiences or impressions

Review A Waterfall

Nearest Waterfalls

The Waterfaller Newsletter

The Waterfaller Newsletter is where we curate the wealth of information on the World of Waterfalls website and deliver it to you in bite-sized chunks in your email inbox. You'll also get exclusive content like...

  • Waterfall Wednesdays
  • Insider Tips
  • User-submitted Waterfall Write-up of the Month
  • and the latest news and updates both within the website as well as around the wonderful world of waterfalls


How To Build A Profitable Travel Blog In 4 Steps

Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.