About Yoro Waterfall (Yoro-no-taki [養老の滝])
The Yoro Waterfall (Yoro-no-taki [養老の滝]; Yoro Falls or Waterfall of Yoro) felt like a popular locals attraction.
It was a 32m high waterfall on the Takidani Stream, and it seemed to be quite the weekend hangout spot as well as one of the Top 100 Japan Waterfalls.
Indeed, it certainly appeared to be the perfect antidote for the heavily industrialized area further down the mountain towards the western outskirts of Nagoya.
We didn’t realize it at the time, but Yoro Park was a varied complex that seemed to cater to people of all ages.
At its base were more city park-like diversions like carnival rides, a golf course, miniature golf courses, a tennis court, playgrounds, and even a camp.
Further up the mountain, the park took on more of a natural feel as we noticed more trees, more shrines, and ultimately the impressive Yoro Waterfall.
So while the Yoro Park and its waterfall were quite popular, we seemed to be one of the few foreign tourists during our visit in October 2016.
Magical Properties of the Yoro Waterfall
It turned out that the popularity of the Yoro Waterfall may have had more to do with the properties of the water itself than the Yoro Park’s diversions.
According to the signage along the trail, the Emperor Gensyo of the Nara Period claimed that the water here would cure any disease as well as reverse aging (a “Fountain of Youth” if you will).
There was a Shinto Shrine built 500m further downstream of the falls in the year 717, which may be related to this history.
I believe we saw that shrine during our short waterfall hike (though there were a few other shrines in the Yoro Park).
In any case, the water was also said to be the key ingredient to the local Yoro Cider.
We didn’t have the fortune of trying it out (as we weren’t aware of it at the time), but maybe we might have a go next time.
Even one legend claimed that the water from this falls could be made into sake.
Anyways, the waters of the Takidani Stream were said to have been filtered through the mineral-laced undersurface of Mt Yoro.
I guess it was these minerals that might have given rise to the healing properties of the water here.
Experiencing the Yoro Waterfall – the Shortest Path
It turned out that our visit of the Yoro Waterfall was probably a more abridged version that what the majority of the people here had experienced.
We began from the nearest car park (see directions below), which involved driving a very narrow and winding towards a pricey private lot.
From that car park, it was only about a 500m walk round trip to the waterfall and back.
The short upside down hike descended along a sloped path as well as some steps before reaching a trail junction near a small shrine.
I wasn’t sure if this was the same shrine that I suspected was the historical one mentioned in the interpretive sign, but we did see a more substantial Yoro Shrine further downhill in the park.
Anyways, going right at this junction, we then descended towards a flat area where there were benches and some yakitori stands.
At the far end of the flat area were some big boulders as well as the plunge pool fronting the Yoro Waterfall.
There was also a little informal memorial next to the pool as well as some more rest benches nearby.
Experiencing the Yoro Waterfall – the Longer and Busier Path
When we became aware that most of the foot traffic was coming from a different trail that led up to the Yoro Falls, we actually spent some time descending a very well-used trail along the Takidani Stream.
Along the way, we noticed an alternate view of the waterfall with some intermediate cascades, which yielded the photo you see at the top of this page.
We also walked by some more buildings as well as a smoking area (which we thought was quite unusual for a forested area like this).
We didn’t make it all the way to the end of this other trail because it turned out that the commercial part of Yoro Park was where the trail went.
That area was ultimately over 2km away in each direction (or 4km round trip).
Had we started the hike from there instead of the nearest car park, then I probably would have changed the difficulty rating to 2.5 or 3 instead of 1.5.
Authorities
The Yoro Waterfall resides in Yoro Park near Nagoya of the Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is administered by the Yoro Park on behalf of the Gifu Prefectural Government. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting their website.
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