Oirase Stream in summer is a famous place to escape the heat, with lush greenery everywhere you look.
The showers the night before made the stream even fuller, and every photo I took with my camera looked like something out of a calendar.
The temperature was cool and comfortable, and the green forest and gently flowing stream made the scenery feel incredibly refreshing.
Oirase Stream | Review by 周黛西
Other Reviews by 周黛西
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Ama hut Osatsu Kamado
Kamado is a hut where ama divers rest after a hard day's work. Ama divers welcome tourists to talk about their stories, while having fresh seafood and snacks. It is a great opportunity to learn authentic ama culture.
When visiting Toba, stepping into an ama hut, the most direct experience is sitting by the charcoal fire and enjoying local seafood. Fish, turban shells, octopus, and other shellfish are served one after another, slowly grilled over charcoal by the ama divers. With little seasoning needed, you can taste the seafood's natural sweetness and the subtle saltiness of the sea. After the meal, there is also sea urchin rice made by the ama divers and miso soup with grilled mochi, simple but flavorful.
More than the seafood itself, what left the strongest impression was the warm, friendly interaction with the ama divers and experiencing this traditional fishing culture through them. Seeing how they treasure every ingredient also gives you a better understanding of the hardships of their work and the value of marine resources. After the meal, stepping outside to enjoy the sea breeze and look at the clear water, this visit to the ama hut was not just about tasting seafood, but also gaining a deeper understanding of the local culture. -
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Onigajo
A scenic spot designated as a National Natural Monument and also registered as a World Heritage Site. Massive rock walls, shaped by natural phenomena over tens of thousands of years including seismic uplift, weathering, and wave erosion, stretch for Approx. 1.2 km, and their overwhelming scale is sure to impress everyone. A promenade has been developed along the rock walls, allowing visitors to admire the scattered caves and unusual rock formations up close.
Onigajo in Kumano is a magnificent natural wonder sculpted over tens of millions of years. Crustal uplift, prolonged weathering, and coastal erosion created massive rock walls stretching about 1.2 km, with layers of raised rock shelves, sharp and rugged formations, and sea caves of all sizes. They look as though they were carved by demons wielding giant axes, making for a visually stunning sight.
It is also one of the component sites of the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range World Heritage Site and is designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument. Walking along the coastal trail, the deep blue Kumano Sea contrasts sharply with the dark gray rock walls. Waves crash against the shore with heart-pounding force, the sea breeze carries a salty scent, and beneath my feet are rocks worn down over the years. I carefully made my way along, gripping the rock wall as if walking on thin ice.
From the Oni-no-Miharashidai lookout, you can gaze out over the expansive rock terrace known as Senjojiki and other sights. With the sea and sky blending into one, you can feel the immense power of nature even more, inspiring a sense of awe. The legend of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro defeating pirates adds another layer of mystery and a rugged sense of history to this unusual rocky coastline. Exploring the entire area takes about 90 minutes round trip, so come and fully enjoy the extraordinary beauty created by nature. -
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Nachi Waterfall
Kumano-Nachi Taisha is the main shrine of over 4000 Kumano Shrines dotting Japan. This waterfall stands within the holy area, The grandest fall in Japan is 133m-tall, 13m-wide at the mouth, where water begins to fall, and the plunge pool is 10m-deep, and pours over 1 ton/second of water through three wedges which merges as one fall, thus called “Three Stream Fall.”
Nachi Waterfall has a drop of 133 meters and is one of Japan's most famous waterfalls, as well as one of the “Three Great Waterfalls of Japan.” The water originates on Mount Ōgumotori, flows through an old-growth forest, then rushes over a sheer cliff with tremendous force, like the ancient description of “3,000 zhang of white hair.” Standing before the waterfall, you hear the thunderous roar of the water, see a ribbon of white plunging before your eyes, and feel the fine mist on your face. The air is filled with the crisp scent of the forest, and even your skin feels the cool moisture. The waterfall itself is the sacred object of worship at Kumano Nachi Taisha, which has no conventional main sanctuary. Standing quietly before the falls, feeling the power of nature and the sacred atmosphere, and then walking along the Kumano Kodo awakens all five senses and adds a profound and unforgettable sense of wonder to this trip through the southern Kii Peninsula.
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