Tahara Falls

Located on the Katsura River, the scenic Tahara Falls is one of the most popular sightseeing spots in the city of Tsuru. It is associated with the famous itinerant haiku poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), who in the winter of 1682 traveled to the village of Yamura (present-day Tsuru) to visit his pupil, a certain minister named Takayama Den’emon.

During Basho’s five-month stay in Yamura, the poet and his pupil held numerous poetry gatherings, during which a number of verses were composed. While visiting Tahara Falls in early spring, Basho penned the following haiku describing the herald of spring: “There are signs of life / the icicles thawing and / the fish in the falls.”

The appearance of Tahara Falls has changed greatly over time. Repeated collapses and erosion of the columnar joints along the river necessitated the addition of revetments and weirs for fortification and erosion control, and the waterfall consequently has a slightly artificial feel to it. Nevertheless, the cascading waters of the Katsura River still offer spectacular views, and the place continues to be popular with railroad photography enthusiasts seeking shots of the Fujikyuko Line with the waterfall.