Amagi-toge Pass / Seven Waterfalls in Kawazu天城峠・河津七滝

An ancient mountain passage that was once the setting for a famous novel. Seven magnificent, aligned waterfalls.

Amagi-toge Pass is an old historical pass crossing a mountain about 820 meters above sea level at its peak. Located in the center of the Izu-hanto Peninsula, it leads through beautiful cedar and cypress trees to the main setting for the novel "Izu no Odoriko" (A Dancer in Izu) written by author Yasunari Kawabata, a Nobel Prize laureate.

Yugashima-onsen Hot Spring, located at the junction of the Kano-gawa and the Nekko-gawa rivers, is known as a calm and composed spa area which was cherished by many writers, including Yasunari Kawabata. The old passage through the mountain pass of Izu, embraced by rich, deep forests, still preserves the atmosphere of an older time. This is the site of the number one waterfall in the Izu district, Joren-no-taki, where you can enjoy the magnificent view of massive volumes of water cascading down from atop the soaring rock mountain.

The Kawazu-gawa River originates around Amagi-toge Pass and flows through the eastern part of the peninsula. There are seven waterfalls, known as the "Kawazu Nanadaru," located on the upper course of the river, where you can walk beside the stream along a well set out promenade designed to help visitors appreciate the series of waterfalls. From the uppermost going downstream, they are named: Kama-daru; Ebi-daru; Hebi-daru; Shokei-daru; Kani-daru; Deai-daru; and Oh-daru. The largest of all is Oh-daru, which is about 7 meters wide and 30 meters high.