DETAILS
It is a waterfall of 3m in height. You can see some cherry blossoms bloom in the spring, and cherry salmon jump over the waterfall in July and August. "Yamame" (called "Yamabe" in Hokkaido), the Queen of a mountain stream, descend to the sea to grow bigger and return to the river as cherry salmon in order to lay eggs. There is some salmon jump in other parts of Japan, but it is rare for the salmon to jump up such a tall waterfall.
Very few fish can succeed in jumping up the fall. They have to be strong and lucky to find the right place and timing to go up. However, you will probably be cheering them up aloud to watch so many of them try to jump.
When the jumping season begins in July, the salmon looks shining silver. It gradually turns into a cherry color in August when the egg-laying season approaches. It finishes laying eggs in September and is taken over by the next generation.
ACCESS
NOTES
- Drive along the unpaved road from Dodo (Hokkaido Prefectural Route) 1115 to Sakuranotaki Falls. The parking lot (0 JPY) is unpaved.
- No toilets (Temporary toilets might be installed in the busy seasons.)
- "Sakuranotaki Falls" is a scenic spot. Please refrain from fishing. (It is banned throughout the year to fish salmons and trouts in the river.)
