Relax and refresh in the beautiful, natural valley! Dakigaeri Valley

At the entrance, there is a stone monument of the Dakigaeri Valley. Turn here and you will reach the entrance to the walking trail.

This shrine is surrounded by old cedar trees and sits near the entrance to the walking trail. In 1673 (the 13th year of the Kanbun era), a severe drought occurred when rice fields were being cultivated in Dakigaeri village. As a result of the water shortage, people prayed for rain at the water source of Dakigaeri, and torrential rains immediately began to pour down. The villagers rebuilt a new shrine and enshrined Mizusaku Daimyojin of Dakigaeri, and it is said that they also enshrined a branch of the spirit of Nyukawa Shrine in Yamato Province (present-day Nara Prefecture) at the same time. The current enshrined deity is Mizuhanome-no-kami, who is worshipped as the guardian deity of rainmaking, the dragon god, the water god, and the guardian deity of sericulture.

As you continue along the footpath, you will come across a red suspension bridge. This 80m-long suspension bridge spans the entrance to the valley and was built in 1926 for the forest railway. It is the oldest suspension bridge in the prefecture and is a spectacular spot from which you can get a panoramic view of the valley and the distinctive blue water surface.

This is one of the strangely shaped rocks in the Dakigaeri Valley. The top of the huge rock, which holds back the rapids of the river, is smooth and wide enough to lay several straw mats on. This flat area is said to resemble the "Nezame-no-Toko" located upstream of the Kiso River in Shinshu.

It is said that in the past, the sound of the river's rapid flow and the water crashing against the rocks sounded like the roar of a brave beast. Now, with the water level reduced by a dam, some people describe it as the "whisper of an old tiger."

This is the most scenic spot in the Dakigaeri Valley. Although it is called "Temple," there is no actual temple here. The cliffs on both sides of the river are so close together that when the water flows into the deep pool, the foam that appears resembles the smoke that drifts when incense is burned at the temple, hence the name. Also, Seigan Bridge is a new suspension bridge built over the walking path that was lost due to a collapse.

This is the most famous spot in the Dakigaeri Valley. One of the reasons for its popularity is that it changes its appearance with the seasons, and it is like watching a woman change into a kimono. The waterfall that falls from between the trees has a majestic and elegant appearance, and looks like a white silk cloth hanging from it. It is a waterfall that you will want to look back on and see again and again, just as its name suggests.