Nabegataki Park Laughter slipped out behind the curtain of water

After parking, I set off on foot. The sound of water came from somewhere beyond the trees. Even once I reached Nabegataki Falls, I thought I might be content just watching the water flow. But when I learned I could see it from behind, too, I couldn’t stop wondering what that view would be like.

The view from beneath the rocky overhang was nothing like the one I’d just seen. Thin streams of water fell right in front of me, with the forest visible beyond. As I gazed at it, I thought, “So that’s what they mean by a curtain of water,” just as a spray hit my cheek.

The cool sensation felt so good that I gently reached out with one hand. The moment the fine spray hit my palm, I instinctively hunched my shoulders. I was the one who’d reached out, so why was I startled? That thought made me laugh out loud.

Even after I pulled my hand back, I kept thinking about how cold it felt and reached out again. This time, I tried to keep a straight face, but ended up laughing again. Watching the water fall beside my face, I thought it might have been a while since I’d played around like this.

Once I’d settled down a little and looked toward the forest, I could see leaves between the streams. I thought I was looking at the same spot, but the view changed whenever the streams crossed over one another. I even forgot about taking photos and just stood there for a while, my hands at my sides.

Before I left, I turned back for one last look at the curtain of water. Earlier, the cold spray had made my shoulders jump, but now I was reluctant to leave. When I think of Nabegataki in early summer, I'll probably remember the beautiful view and my own laughter when the spray startled me.