Fukui · Wakasa
35.4611°N, 135.8430°E
The name means the melon splitter, from a story that the water was so cold that a melon left in it cracked. It comes out of the rock behind Tentokuji temple in Wakasa at a steady eleven or twelve degrees year-round, in enough volume to form a small fall, and it was selected as one of Japan's hundred famous waters in 1985.
What you find is a short wooded walk from a car park to a mossy rock face with water pouring out of it, and — more to the point locally — a row of taps where people fill containers. This is drinking water that people drive for. The surrounding area has been laid out as a park with a shop, and containers and a fee sticker are sold there for taking quantities home. It is free to visit and free to drink on the spot.
Essential Information
Opening Hours
Open access during daylight hours
Closed: Open year-round
Entrance Fee
Free to visit and to drink on site | Sticker for taking larger quantities home around ¥300
Best Season
Year-round | Summer for the cold air around the falls
Visit Duration
30–45 minutes
Getting There
Access Information
Insider Guide
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