The largest waterfall in the Kanagawa Prefecture, Hiryu Falls (Hiryu-no Taki) has two tiers: the upper tier is 15 metres and the lower is 25 metres in height. It’s said that during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), practitioners of the Hakone Gongen religion would purify themselves in the waterfall while climbing the mountains.
The name of the waterfall comes from the shape of the waterfall, which supposedly looks like a dragon flying up (Hiryū or 飛龍 ,means “flying dragon”). The rocks over which the water tumbes is andesite lava.
Below Hiryu Falls are many more small cascades.
Getting to Hiryu Falls
The waterfall is along a hiking trail which was once (during the Edo period from 1603-1868) used as a route connecting Hatajuku village and Ashinoyu Onsen. The falls can be reached from the Yusakaro bus stop near Ashinoyu above the falls (3.3km return) or from a bus stop along Route 732 near Hatajuku below the falls (2.7km return).
A side-track goes up to the top tier of the waterfall.
A very pleasant and scenic one-way walk over Mount Sengen passes Hiryu Falls.
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