Kuguri Falls is a distinctive waterfall surrounded by the rich natural landscape of Yamagata Prefecture. Over countless years, flowing water has eroded and hollowed out a huge rock, creating a natural opening through which the waterfall now flows. This unusual formation is the reason the waterfall is known as “Kuguri Falls,” a name associated with passing through an opening.
The waterfall is approximately 14 meters in total drop, 5 meters high, and 4.6 meters wide. Unlike an ordinary waterfall that simply falls over a cliff, the water appears to pass through a natural rock tunnel before cascading downward, creating a mysterious and dramatic landscape.
The surrounding area is covered with a natural beech forest. From spring to summer, visitors can see Asian skunk cabbage, while autumn brings colorful foliage and winter transforms the area into a snowy landscape. Walking through the forest while listening to the sound of rushing water provides an opportunity to experience Yamagata’s natural environment up close.
The area around Kuguri Falls lies within a national forest and is surrounded by a natural beech woodland. Large mature beech trees cover the mountains, while numerous streams converge in the forest and eventually form the flow of Kuguri Falls.
During the spring snowmelt and the period of heavy early-summer rains known as tsuyu, the volume of water increases. Water can rush through the entire opening in the rock, creating a particularly powerful sight.
Because the amount and force of the water changes according to the season and weather, the waterfall can display a different character each time it is visited.
From late spring into early summer, as the snow melts, Asian skunk cabbage blooms around the waterfall. The combination of fresh green beech trees, white flowers, and water cascading through the natural rock opening creates a beautiful seasonal landscape.
In autumn, the surrounding trees change color and the natural beech forest becomes covered in brilliant fall foliage. The contrast between the exposed rock, flowing water, and colorful trees is one of the most memorable sights at Kuguri Falls.
In winter, deep snow covers the surrounding area, creating a completely different scene as Kuguri Falls stands quietly within the snowy forest.
However, this region receives heavy snowfall, and depending on road and snow conditions, it may not be possible to reach the area by car. Travelers planning a winter visit should check road conditions and snowfall information in advance.
The water flowing through Kuguri Falls originates in the headwaters of the Yoshino River. Over a very long period, erosion by flowing water gradually carved an opening through the massive rock. Water passing through this opening created the waterfall’s unusual form.
The volume of water becomes especially impressive during the snowmelt season and the period of heavy seasonal rainfall. Watching water rush through the rock makes it easy to appreciate how the landscape itself has been shaped by the forces of nature.
With its enormous rock formation carved by water over generations, Kuguri Falls can truly be described as a “natural sculpture”.
One of the most unusual features of Kuguri Falls is that visitors can walk through the natural opening and reach the area behind the waterfall. Looking outward from inside the rock while water cascades down provides a close-up experience that is very different from viewing a conventional waterfall from the front.
However, the area around the falls can become slippery because of spray and moisture. Visitors should wear sturdy, slip-resistant walking shoes and pay close attention to their footing while exploring the rock formation.
The area around Kuguri Falls also has a history closely connected with water conservation. During the Edo period, the Yonezawa Uesugi Domain designated the mountainous area beyond the falls as a “Goryorin”, or protected forest, in order to safeguard water resources for areas downstream.
Seven households were also assigned to the area as yamamori and mizumori, people responsible for managing and protecting the mountain forests and water resources. The area was known as “Mizubayashi,” meaning “water forest.”
Although no residents live there today, this history provides an example of how forests were deliberately managed to protect valuable water resources in the past.
The area surrounding Kuguri Falls is now part of a national forest, where large natural beech trees continue to grow. Rain and melting snow that fall on the forest flow into streams, eventually gathering to form the water of Kuguri Falls. The landscape therefore reflects both the natural water cycle and the long history of people protecting the forest and its water.
Kuguri Falls is also traditionally associated with Shugendo, a Japanese mountain ascetic tradition involving religious training and spiritual practices in the mountains.
According to local tradition, yamabushi, or practitioners of Shugendo, associated with Miyauchi Kumano Taisha Grand Shrine once performed misogi, a ritual purification using water, at the falls before continuing toward Mount Hakitayama.
A Kumano Shrine and a small Myōjin shrine pavilion can also be found near the waterfall, preserving traces of the area’s history of religious practice.
The powerful flow of the waterfall and the surrounding deep forest create an atmosphere that helps visitors understand why natural mountain landscapes were regarded as sacred places by people in earlier times.
Kuguri Falls is a distinctive natural attraction created by the interaction between a massive rock formation and water from the headwaters of the Yoshino River. The scenery changes throughout the year, from Asian skunk cabbage and fresh greenery in spring to colorful foliage in autumn and deep snow in winter.
The area also preserves stories of the Yonezawa Uesugi Domain’s efforts to protect water resources and traditions of Shugendo practitioners performing purification at the falls.
Combined with the unusual experience of being able to walk through the natural rock opening and view the waterfall from behind, Kuguri Falls offers visitors a chance to experience both the mystery of nature and the history of the mountains amid a beautiful beech forest.