Daisen Falls

Daisen Falls drops 42 meters in two stages down the flanks of Mt. Daisen, the highest peak in the Chugoku region at 1,729 meters. The two-stage drop is caused by a resistant layer of volcanic rock that slows the water's erosive power. The falls were revered as the home of a Shinto deity in ancient times and were designated one of Japan's top 100 waterfalls in 1990. The surrounding old-growth beech forest, one of the largest in western Japan, shelters over 100 bird species. Above 1,400 meters, the trees give way to alpine shrubs that attract more than 120 butterfly species, some of them endangered. A section of 400-year-old cobblestone from the historic Kawadoko pilgrim road is still visible on nearby trails.