Yukiwa Falls, 80-meter waterfall in Nametoko Gorge, Japan
Yukiwa Falls is a granite slab waterfall in Nametoko Gorge, in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture. The stream of the Meguro river, a Shimanto tributary, runs down a single inclined rock face about 300 metres long and 20 metres wide; the stretch visible from the trail is roughly 80 metres. The water fans out over the smooth stone rather than dropping vertically.
Yukiwa Falls lies in Nametoko Gorge in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, within the Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park. In 1990 Japan's Environment Agency placed it on its list of the Top 100 Waterfalls of Japan, and it is also counted as No. 47 of the 88 Views of Shikoku. Its water flows into the Meguro River, a tributary of the Shimanto.
The falls are listed among Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls, a selection drawn up by the Environment Ministry in 1990, and are number 47 of the 88 Views of Shikoku. The name Yukiwa refers to the snow-ring patterns the water traces on the granite, though these rings disappear when the flow is heavy.
From the free car park at Nametoko Gorge, a 1,200-metre trail leads upstream to the falls, taking about 40 minutes on foot. By car, the falls are about 25 minutes from JR Matsumaru Station, or roughly 90 minutes from the Ozu-kita interchange via Routes 197 and 381. The smooth granite slope allows visitors to slide on the falls themselves.
The name Yukiwa refers to the snow-ring patterns formed by the water's ripples on the granite slope. The visible section from the trail is about 80 metres, though the full stream runs some 300 metres long and 20 metres wide. When the water volume is high, the snow rings may not be visible at all.
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