Taro Jiro Falls

Nestled in a lush valley in a quiet residential area, the twin waterfalls of Taro and Jiro are fed by the Tokaichiba and Natsugari springs, the water of which originates from Mount Fuji some 30 kilometers away. The two falls are relatively gentle, with a 10-meter drop into the Hishakunagare River below.

According to local legend, the waterfalls were named after a pair of brothers, Taro and Jiro. The two were outlaws, having taken to thievery to support themselves. When law enforcement caught up with them, they opted to jump to their deaths rather than allow themselves to be captured. The townspeople then renamed the falls after Taro and Jiro.

The Hishakunagare River, whose name translates to “ladle flow,” also has a legend attached to it. As the story goes, a deity once dropped a ladle in Lake Kawaguchiko, one of the Fuji Five Lakes. The handle of the ladle pierced a hole through the bottom of the lake. The resulting passageway created a flow of water from the lake to nearby Mount Mitsutoge, from which the Hishakunagare River originates.

The high cliffs of this small valley and the sound of running water make Taro Jiro Falls an excellent place to enjoy a little solitude. The view is especially magical in winter, when the falls as well as the water trickling down the cliffs freeze to icicles.