The Nishizawa Valley is beautiful at any time of year, but there is a good reason it attracts more visitors in autumn. The colors of the trees are beautiful, and the mountain, valley, river and waterfall scenery offers the hiker one lovely vista after another. The trail requires a reasonable level of fitness and sturdy footwear. There are some steep climbs down to some of the waterfalls along the way and back up again. If you are like me, you will be grateful that there are some guide ropes at the the more difficult spots. The way follows the Fuefuki river, and you will be able to see some old railway tracks embedded in the path. There are eight different waterfalls along the way. If you hike the whole trail it takes about four hours from the car park, and is a 10 kilometer circuit that gets you back to where you started.
You can reach Nishizawa Valley by local bus departing from either Yamanashi Station or Enzan Station. The bus ride takes about 60 minutes.
Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood
I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...
