Kakemaku Falls
The 20-meter Kakemaku Falls is the highest waterfall in Kikuchi Gorge. It is viewable from the bridge directly above the falls or from a small platform underneath the bridge. The spray rising from the bottom of the waterfall reaches both viewing points. Under the right conditions, a rainbow may appear in the spray. The name of the falls means “lowered curtain”—a reference to how the falling water conceals the cliff behind it like a grand drape separating a stage from the audience. Kakemaku Falls is one of the best examples of the type of steep waterfalls for which Kikuchi Gorge is noted. The volcanic rock in the gorge contains vertical fissures that were caused by extremely hot matter from a volcanic eruption interacting with cool air. When water penetrates these cracks, blocks of rock eventually break off. The resulting sheer cliffs become waterfalls like this one.