A hike through Nishizawa Keikoku

By Kendra Evans

For those who love experiencing nature first-hand, Yamanashi Prefecture is a perfect place to be. Some of the highest mountains in the country are located here. 78% of the prefecture is covered by forest, and around 30% of the land is designated as national parks. These features all make Yamanashi one of the best places for hiking and nature trails.

We were lucky enough to take a trip to Nishizawa Keikoku, a canyon in the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park. Situated north of Yamanashi City, this area is very popular for trekking and mountain walking. I can’t say I am very good at exercise, but I am always ready to see new parts of the prefecture, so I went along with my other colleagues, to try the hiking course and see the famous waterfalls.

A map of the National Park

Our hiking course was a 10km route, all the way around the canyon - starting from the car park at the base. The weather was good, and the route was quiet. Before we had even reached the 1km mark, there were beautiful waterfalls and gorgeous views waiting to be seen.

One of the first waterfalls on the hike

The route guide

From this map, we could see the route laid out. The midway point is just past the Nanatsugama Godan no Taki, a five-step waterfall deep in the mountains. The route loops back around to where you start, and so there is no need to retread the same path, making all the sights along the way different and exciting.

 

A view of the mountains and forest around us

We set off at a good pace, passing by the signs for the mountain climbing routes. There are many high mountains in the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, including Kobushigatake, a mountain range with a height of 2,475m. For those who want to do some serious climbing, you can start from within Nishizawa Keikoku.

For the veterans

 

The first few kilometres of the trek are heavily wooded and shady. The temperature is very cool as you climb, thanks to cover from the trees and the altitude. Every now and then, the path will emerge near another waterfall, as it climbs up along the Fuefuki River. The route continues up hill, and the left hand side of the path quickly becomes a longer and longer drop down towards the bottom of the canyon as you walk.

Trekking

 We saw a few other hikers on our way – including many elderly people! The route is quite rocky, and I wondered how they managed, but if they are in good health and know how best to hike, it must not be so challenging. Many people bring hiking sticks, backpacks and waterproof coats, fully prepared.

An easier section of the path

A more 'challenging' section of the path

The Sanjuutaki

 We stopped for lunch at the Sanjuutaki, a three tiered waterfall around the 3km point. The water here is incredibly clean and it is difficult to pull your eyes away from the vivid blue colour. The entire scene was gorgeous, and a perfect place to stop and relax.

The clear blue water

After our picnic, we continued on up the path. From here, the route became very rocky, and in some parts I had to use the chain attached to the rocks to pull myself up. I was definitely glad I wore my hiking boots! It was difficult at times not to fall over, because with such stunning scenery around you, you don’t want to spend the entire walk watching your step!

Watch your step!

 

Along this route, the waterfalls became much more defined. One of the largest was the Dragon God Waterfall, a fast-running stream of water shooting along the boulders and smoothing them down. We also went past the Womb Cave, so called because of its round shape. At one place, we found a piece of metal sticking up out of the rocks. I thought it was a snake at first, but it was actually an original piece of an old train line! I had so many questions – but they were answered later in the walk.

Dragon God Waterfall

The view of the Dragon God Waterfall 

The Womb Cave

What is this?

Hey Yuri-san!

Eventually, after almost two and a half hours, we made it to the Godan no Taki, the famous five-tiered waterfall. The view was simply amazing. The pathway goes all the way around the waterfall, giving a complete view. What fascinated me was the way the water seems so still in the pools, only to be gushing out at an intense speed from just under the rocks.

Here, we took a short break, before continuing on. The path had been so rocky before, and my legs were beginning to ache. I was a little worried about continuing onwards – but I was reassured that after the Godan no Taki, the path becomes far more flat and even. This second half was definitely much more relaxing and easy going than the first – but in my opinion, it is much better to do the more challenging half first. Though the second half is flat and easy to walk, it is still almost 5km! You wouldn’t want to walk for that long only to have a downhill rocky trek, and you might be too tired to enjoy the view. Certainly the sights during the second half of the walk were a little less spectacular than the river and waterfalls. There was, however, an amazing view of the mountains of Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park.

Taking a break

Getting moving again

The flatter half of the route

 You might be wondering why the path is so different once it passes the Godan no Taki. The answer to that lies in the train track from earlier. During the Showa Period, there was a lot of logging and industry in the mountains of the canyon. The Trokko, the Japanese term for a minecart, was used to transport logs and other materials down the steep mountain. The route is very flat because the track lines had to be laid down, and there are not many twists and turns to reduce the chances of losing materials out of the cart. The Trokko was stopped in the late years of the Showa period, when wood from abroad became cheaper than producing it domestically. I found this history a fascinating element of the National Park; it is an interesting insight into the different values this area has had to the people of Yamanashi.

The trokko lines

Explanation about the trokko

 We took the second half of our walk very leisurely, listening to music and enjoying the light breeze. We passed by some rocks, where the waters from the river source above us had found a way down the mountain. The water is so clean you can drink it from spots like this! It was very tasty – although I was told that the flavour is improved if you are tired out from hiking!

Yuri-san trying out the water

Although the trees were alive with the sound of birds and insects, we didn’t see too much wildlife on our trek – except when we found a tiny wood mouse amongst the leaves. It was so tiny and cute!

Can you find the mouse?

 There is a small shrine along the path around the 8-9km mark, where we paid our respects. Past the shrine, the path opens out to lead back to the starting point, and the signpost marking our 10km walk. My legs may have felt like lead afterwards, but it was a truly amazing experience! I highly encourage anyone to try it out.

The Shrine

The last stretch

The best way to get to Nishizawa Keikoku with public transport is by bus from Enzan Station. However, there are only a few buses a day, so my advice would be to go early! The bus schedule is the second set of charts found here; 塩山駅南口 is Enzan Station South Exit, and 西沢渓谷入口 is the entrance to Nishizawa Keikoku. 

Happy Hiking!

Complete!