Japan 2023 : Kiyotsu Gorge & Naena Waterfall, Niigata

• Japan 2023 Trip Itinerary (still updating)
• Nov 1 – Arrival at Nagoya, around Nagano Station, Stay : Sotetsu Fresa Inn Nagano-Zenkojiguchi
• Nov 2 – Bus trip to visit the famous Snow Monkey Park, Nagano, Stay : Sotetsu Fresa Inn Nagano-Zenkojiguchi
• Nov 3 – Easy trek at Togakushi 5-shrines, Nagano, Stay : Sotetsu Fresa Inn Nagano-Zenkojiguchi
• Nov 4 – Visite to Zenkoji Temple and hiking at Hakuba Happo Pond, Stay : Hotel Hakuba
• Nov 5 – Relax at Hakuba Mountain Harbour and Oide Park, Stay : Hotel Hakuba
• Nov 6 – Drive to Sea of Japan, Ben-ten Iwa rock, Stay : APA Hotel & Resort Joetsu Myoko
• Nov 7 – Drive to Kiyotsu Gorge and Naena Waterfall, Stay : APA Hotel & Resort Joetsu Myoko
• Nov 8 – Drive around Lake Nojiri, train ride to Lake Suwa and Tateishi Park, Stay : Beni-ya Hotel
• Nov 9, 10 – Train ride to Shizuoka and Nihondaira Terrace sunset, Stay : Nippondaira Hotel
• Nov 11 – Train ride to Fuji City, walk around Atami City, Stay : Super Hotel JR Fujiekimae Kinenkan
• Nov 12 – Shy Mount Fuji, cheap seafood at Co-op and Numazu City festival, Stay : Super Hotel JR Fujiekimae Kinenkan
• Nov 13 – Mount Fuji, Shira-Ito Falls, Fujisan Sengan Shrine, Mount Fuji World Heritage Center, Stay : Super Hotel JR Fujiekimae Kinenkan
• Nov 14 – Mount Fuji, Hamamatsu Station and bus to hotel nearby airport, Stay : Hotel Route-Inn Tokoname Ekimae

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Today’s road trip to the famous Kiyotsu Gorge at Tokamachi was going to be a 170km round trip adventure, so we got up pretty early to start our day. Our drive saw us passing the Chikuma River at Iiyama city, where cherry blossom trees lined up, making it a famous cherry blossom viewing spot among locals in Japan. The road along the river was wide and offered a good respite from the narrow and windy roads before it. We love the feel of the town so might make a stop here next time.

After over an hour of driving, we made a breakfast stop at, where else, but 7-11 セブン-イレブン 津南町十二ノ木店. We had our favorite Chilli Tomato mee-in-my-mug and a must-have onigiri (my favorite breakfast staple). Having recharged with hot food, we continued our drive to our destination through acres and acres of farmland before reaching our free parking spot at Kiyotsu Gorge.

Kiyotsu Gorge (Mapcode: 253 195 488) is part of the 2018 Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial, where a series of tunnels were transformed into works of art with the intricate rock formations (known as columnar joints) of the gorge as the perfect backdrop. To get here, it is recommended to drive, as public transport can be quite irregular in these parts. The entrance fee is 1000 yen for adults and 400 yen for preschoolers. Operating time is from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and it takes about 1 hour to slowly walk, take pictures, and enjoy the 750m long tunnel.

To beat the crowd, we brisk-walked to the end of the tunnel where the main “Instagrammable” artwork was located. There was quite a big crowd waiting their turn to take pictures when we reached. It was really beautiful, with a shallow pool to project a mirror image of the beautiful gorge. We took off our shoes and waded to the end for some gorgeous pictures. Although the overall artwork was a looker, what really stood out for me were the amazing rock formations with the Kiyotsu river running through it. Fantastic.

All along the tunnel are different colored lights and information centers to make the walk a bit more interesting. The second artwork was dotted with round mirrors, making for some interesting photography opportunities. The third was a kaleidoscope of lines, just like an Austin Powers movie but in black and white. It was really mind-blowing, contrasting the gorge so much, and interestingly, there was a dome-shaped toilet in the center too – which a lot of people did not realize. The last one was a simple, no-frills tunnel – not a lot of people here, though, unsurprisingly. Personally, I enjoyed the drive here and it was super worth it, but it might not be everybody’s cup of tea to drive this far for some tunnels and rocks but for us, it is always the journey – not the destination.

On the way back, we decided to make a stopover at Roadside Station Shin-etsu Sakae, which had a farmer’s market too. We bought some big apples since they were quite cheap at 50 yen each. We also had our lunch there, purchased from a food vendor a really delicious mushroom soup (350 yen) and clam rice set (350 yen). It was a lovely lunch overlooking a picturesque Chikuma river and loads of trees, one of the best lunch experiences in Japan. So simple, so quiet, so nice. Wabi Sabi.

Keying in the map code for Naena Waterfall, the GPS somehow lead us to the mountain roads instead, taking us up to the Madarao Ski Resort area, totally devoid of humans in autumn. The drive up the hill was quite lovely but lonely, with only a couple of cars passing us.

After what seemed like driving through Silent Hill, we finally reached the free car park of Naena Waterfall (Mapcode: 469 047 336), where the chilly air greeted us and we could hear the thunderous sound of the waterfall already. The sound came from a man-made 2-tier falls and a dangly rope bridge going across Seki River. The overcast sky painted a very moody, wet, and almost dream-like setting around the area as we made the easy trek to the main waterfall.

The entire area was more beautiful than expected – enchanting, almost like a Jurassic Park set and jumping out from a water painting. This was a real surprise since this falls was selected at random with little information. This is the reason why we love to travel to not-so-famous areas or spots – the feeling of uncovering hidden gems makes us really happy. We made a brief food stop just beside the man-made waterfall to enjoy the sound of falling water.

It got too cold, and we quickly left for our hotel and, like always, we stopped by a small Yamazaki convenience store to grab our dinner/breakfast. The golden rays of the setting sun cast a warm glow on the golfing greens as we arrived at Hotel APA Resort Joetsu Myoko to end a very rewarding day.

A bonus reward was that all channels were freely available for all guests at the hotel – including VOD adult channels, a rare occasion.

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• Useful links:
  • Kiyotsu Gorge @ Enjoy Niigata (Mapcode: 253 195 488)
  • Naena Waterfall (Mapcode: 469 047 336)
• From our experiences :
  • Always stop by a rest stop if possible, everyone is different and stores different food and experiences
  • Wear comfy shoes as these 2 destinations require abit of walking, especially Naena waterfall
  • Mapcodes are codes you can enter to your car’s GPS unit sort of Google maps but needn’t key in the words. I prefer using mapcodes.
  • Driving in Japan is on the left hand side of the road. Try to make stops at rest stations as everyone of them has its own unique charm and things to sell