Oirase Gorge — Attraction in Towada

A TREASURE HUB OF BEAUTIFUL WATERFALLS!

One of the best and iconic attraction of AOMORI PERFECTURE. Oirase Gorge is a well-known picturesque locale, whether it is in the spring with fresh green leaves, the fall with the gorgeous fall leaves, or the cool summer. It's just captivating with a beautiful melody of falling water and rushing stream all the time! The gorge stretches from Nenokuchi on Lake Towada to Yakiyama a total distance of 14 km (8.6 miles). Expansive woods blended with numerous waterfalls and the graceful water current give life to the magnificent mountain stream. Hiking in spring (lush green leaves) and the season of autumn foliage (brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange from late October through early November) is simply exceptional. An easy-to-walk hiking trail leads along the most scenic, upper passage of the stream between Nenokuchi and Ishigedo, with many bridges, waterfalls and bus stops along the way. The trail takes about 4 hours to walk one way. Many cars and tour buses travel through here, and there is a good view of much of the stream from the road. Free parking is available in Yasumiya and Yakeyama. I visited this in August 2020, and would like to visit again and again! I love this amazing place! RENT A CAR AND VISIT SEVERAL PLACES IN A DAY (My suggestion!)

Highly...

Absolutely beautiful!! It’s breathtaking. Photos taken at the end of October 2021.

Such a peaceful place to be. The ray of the sunshine makes the autumn leaves even more colorful and beautiful. There is a pathway for hikers all the way - which I strongly recommend.

The day I visited was weekend and it was very crowded. The street is quite narrow. Aaaand, there aren’t proper parkings along the way. (I saw some parking spots but they seemed to be reserved for the tourist buses) It was sad to see some drivers just park the cars randomly on the street that makes other cars difficult to drive (actually making traffic jams) :( You can park the car near the Lake Towada (for free) during the busy season or you can perhaps use the parking area if not during the...

The gorge itself was great, and luckily when I went the autumn colours was in full swing. I visited by taking the bus from Yasumiya JR Bus Towadako and stopped at Ishigedo as suggested by the staff in the hotel. He mentioned that it was prettier to walk up towards the lake than from the lake.

During my visit they were encouraging people to take the bus instead of taking their own cars to the gorge to limit congestion. Once I visited I understood why. Despite being a weekday there were lots of cars and some of the drivers would just stop their cars wherever they please to take pictures, making it dangerous for other drivers to pass.

If you are visiting, please take the bus or park...