Hinohara Waterfall

When we found out we were coming to Japan, we began scouring the internet for any and all information we could find on the base and the surrounding area. We really struck gold when we stumbled across the Yokota Officers' Spouses Club's Travelog. It's an awesome, 200 page information and travel guide for Yokota and tons of other places in Japan. I love that thing and flip through nearly every week figuring out where we might want to go next.

One place that went on my list immediately, before we even got here, was Hinohara Waterfall, mostly because of it's proximity to the base (only a 45 min drive) and the fact that you can get right up to the waterfall, even in it if you want. Lame as it sounds, I've never been up close to a real waterfall (been to Niagra, but that's not quite the same). I'm really into the "taking a Sunday drive" thing, and this seemed like an ideal destination.

Fastforward over a year later, and still no trip to Hinohara. I decided to rectify that this weekend.

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The drive up was really scenic on narrow, winding, mountain roads taking us up into the foothills that lay just beyond the base. We must have pulled of the road 10 times to take pictures.

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Hinohara Waterfall

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We also stopped at a Kanotoiwa Gorge, equally beautiful. The girls had a good time climbing around on the rocks. We saw some Buddhists meditating in a waterfall. The water was freezing, even from a distance we could see them all shivering and shaking as they prayed.

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Takigyo

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Once again, I'm sad that we didn't go sooner, but now we can't wait to take Otis when he comes home, I know it will be spectacular in the fall.