Oirase Gorge
Special Place Of Scenic Beauty And Natural Monument; Within Towada Hachimantai National Park · Towada, Aomori
A clear mountain stream in the north of Honshu that flows out of Lake Towada through a forested valley of beech and maple, followed by one of the most beautiful riverside walks in Japan. The path runs for roughly 14 kilometres from Nenokuchi, where the stream leaves the lake, down to Yakeyama, passing a long series of rapids, pools, mossy boulders and waterfalls. The best-known sights are Choshi Otaki, a broad waterfall across the main stream, the Kumoi falls on a side valley, and Ashura-no-nagare, a stretch of white churning rapids. The stream is a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a Natural Monument within Towada-Hachimantai National Park, and it is famous for its mosses, fresh green in early summer and autumn colour, usually at its peak in late October. A road runs beside the stream with bus stops along it, so you can walk any section and ride back. Lake Towada's cruises, the milky baths of Sukayu Onsen and the Hakkoda mountains are nearby.
Oirase, Towadako, Towada, Aomori, 034-0301, Japan
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the stream path is open at all times, but walking is only sensible in daylight, and sections close after heavy rain, landslides or bear sightings. The visitor centre keeps daytime hours, roughly 9 am to 4 or 5 pm, with winter closures. JR buses run only several times a day with fewer in winter, and the last bus is early. Lake Towada boats stop in winter. Confirm current bus times, closures and autumn car restrictions before relying on them.