Reimei Falls

Reimei Falls on the Kikuchi Gorge trail drops 5 meters in a delicate spray that resembles mist at daybreak, which is how it earned its name, reimei meaning dawn. When the river runs full after rain, additional cascades form around the central boulder, turning one waterfall into several. Just up the trail, a grove of Japanese cedars planted in 1823 by the local daimyo lord, intended as construction timber, was never harvested and now towers over the river. Spots of ragged bark on the trunks mark where Japanese giant flying squirrels have climbed with their sharp claws. The combination of the falls and the old growth makes this one of the gorge's better short stops.