Kawazu Nanadaru Waterfalls and Hot Springs, Japan

Well we started this tour trip at 4AM, when we left Yokosuka Naval Base on a guided tour bus. After four hours we arrived in the Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Located there was the destination of our tour: the Jeron and Kawazu Nanadaru Waterfalls and Hot Springs. We took about an 1.5 hour walking tour the Jeron waterfall, and the six waterfalls along the Kawazu River.

This picture was taken at the bottom of the Kama-daru waterfall, the tallest of the first six waterfalls at 22 meters. We hiked along the paved trail and up many stairs within the ravine to reach this waterfall.

After the walking waterfall tour, we ate lunch at a local restaurant. At first the menu did not look too appealing with items like whole hard-boiled rainbow trout, and buck wheat noodles topped with Japanese mushrooms and yams (yuck!!!!!!). Finally Lori settled on curry rice and Kevin settled on curry udon (noodles). Lori didn't find either selection very appealing, but Kevin ate every bite....of both. Mmmmm.....it was yummy (Kevin).

After lunch, we hiked back down the ravine to a hot spring spa placed right next to the Kawazu river and the Oh-daru waterfall that has a height of 30 meters. There was seven or eight different spring pools to go into, ranging in heat from 38 to 40 degrees Celsius. The river water was a little too chilly to swim in.


The most exciting of the hot spring pools was the nudist one! Just kidding, we skipped that area.....who wants to see that? Actually, the best pool was located inside the mountain in a cave! you walk about 50 feet from the cave entrance to the pool entrance, then you have to wade another 25 feet before you enter the end cave. There is a pitch dark tunnel after you enter the water that you have to go through before you reach the deepest part of the hot spring in a larger cave. The air was so humid in there, and there was watering dripping from the ceiling!