To-no-Hetsuri

Locally knownKnown to people who live here. Not in the international guidebooks.

Recherche et rédaction Hinato

To-no-Hetsurinatural monumentOkawa riverShimogoeroded cliff

Photo: Kohei Fujii / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · original

Hetsuri is an Aizu dialect word for a cliff along a river, and this one has been cut by the Okawa for more than a million years into a row of thirteen towers of soft rock, undercut at the base so that they lean out over the green water. It is a national natural monument.

A suspension bridge crosses to the foot of the cliff and a ledge path runs along the base of the towers, worn into the rock, with a small shrine set into a hollow at one end. The site itself is free — the charge is for parking, and several of the shops at the entrance will waive it against a purchase. It is one stop down the Aizu Railway from the thatched station at Yunokami Onsen, and the two are usually done together.

Informations essentielles

Horaires d'ouverture

Open access | Daylight only

Fermé: Open year-round | Ledge path closes after heavy rain, snow or rockfall

Tarif d'entrée

Free | Parking around ¥300, waived by some shops against a purchase

Meilleure saison

Late October–early November for autumn colour | Late April for fresh green

Durée de visite

45–60 minutes

Comment s'y rendre

Informations d'accès

Yagoshima, Shimogo, Minamiaizu District. About a short walk from To-no-Hetsuri Station on the Aizu Railway Aizu Line, or by car from the Aizu-Wakamatsu direction on Route 121. The site and the suspension bridge are free; parking is charged, typically around ¥300, and some souvenir shops waive it against a purchase of about ¥1,000. The ledge path along the base of the cliff can be closed after heavy rain, snow or rockfall.

Guide d'initié

**The site is free — parking is not.** Around ¥300 at the paid lots, waived by several of the shops if you buy something. This catches people out in both directions. **The ledge path closes.** Rain, snow and rockfall shut the walk along the base of the towers, sometimes for extended periods, while the bridge and viewpoint stay open. Check before making a special trip for the path. **Autumn is the season.** Late October to early November, when the red on the cliff top sits over the pale rock and green water. It is also when the car park fills. **One stop from Yunokami Onsen.** The thatched station is a few minutes up the line and the two are the standard pairing on an Aizu Railway day. **Thirteen towers, undercut at the base.** Soft rock eroded from below over a million years. Standing on the ledge underneath them is the point of the visit.

Voir sur Google Maps