Exploring Kurotaki Falls Facing a low, wide waterfall

I left my car at Roadside Station Yokawa and walked to Kurotaki Falls. On a July morning, as I made my way between the trees, I began to notice the sound of water. I’d pictured a waterfall as a single stream dropping from somewhere high. But when I reached the viewpoint, my eyes moved sideways before I even looked up.

Water poured over the low shelves of rock in several separate streams. As I watched the ones on the left, I found myself wondering about the right, too; there was no obvious place to rest my eyes. I gently held the hem of my white tank top and just watched for a while. The water’s surface shimmered in the light, and there was still more to watch where each stream reached the bottom.

Kurotaki Falls has a drop of about 4 m and a width of about 30 m. I learned it flows over two tiers: the Male Fall and the Female Fall. Once I knew its height and width, I understood why my eyes had gone sideways first. Some people call it “Miki’s Niagara,” but the way the water shifts along the low rocks felt wonderfully familiar to me.

It was the same waterfall, yet some parts plunged with real force while others ran in a thin sheet along the rock. The flow kept changing, so even after taking a photo, I wanted to look up and keep watching. When I let my hand rest beside my khaki skirt, the rush I’d felt on the walk there began to melt away, too. Before leaving, I watched it once more, this time from right to left.

As I retraced my steps, I started thinking about the hot springs at Roadside Station Yokawa, too. It made me happy that I could pair the walk to the falls with a relaxing stop on the way back. I’d meant this to be a quick detour just to hear the water, but I ended up standing there longer than I’d expected. On days like that, I want to slow down and give my feet a breather before heading on.

For a treat, I’d like to stop at Roadside Station Miki, also in Miki City. They feature soft-serve made with Yamada Nishiki miso. I wonder how miso and soft-serve taste together. The thought of a cool, sweet bite after seeing the falls is making me want to plan the drive already. That’s one more summer drive on my list.