Many years ago, I found myself wandering the mountain paths of Nikkō with only a small point-and-shoot camera and a tripod as my companions. My intention had been to capture the splendour of autumn leaves, but the season had already slipped away, leaving the branches bare and the forest quiet. What might have seemed a disappointment at first revealed itself instead as a rare gift: in the absence of fiery foliage, the falls themselves became the focus, luminous and unadorned. I pressed the shutter only a few times, yet this image has endured as one of the few remaining from that period of my life. Looking back, I would not dare attempt such a venture again, yet the memory remains as vivid as the sound of the water that day.
The cascade before me was Ryūzu Falls (Ryūzu no Taki, 竜頭の滝), the Dragon’s Head Waterfall, whose twin streams tumble down the rocks in a white veil that, with a touch of imagination, resembles the horns and mane of a mythic creature. The Yukawa River feeds its ceaseless descent, carrying the mountain’s breath from Lake Yunoko down toward Lake Chūzenji, tracing a course carved over countless centuries.
Ryūzu has long been cherished not only for its beauty but for its spirit. In Japan, waterfalls are often regarded as sacred thresholds where nature reveals its force and purity, and where pilgrims once paused for contemplation on their way to the shrines of Nikkō. Standing before the falls, one senses that same timeless quality: the mingling of power and grace, the endless renewal of water against stone. In autumn, the spectacle is even more profound, when maples and beeches ignite in red and gold, as though the dragon itself were breathing fire into the forest. Even out of season, however, the falls hold their majesty—reminding the traveler that beauty is not confined to the height of autumn but lingers quietly in every moment of the year.
What remains most precious to me is not the photograph itself, but the silence and humility it recalls. The memory of Ryūzu Falls is a reminder that nature does not perform for us; it simply endures, and in its endurance, offers us a glimpse of something eternal.
Linking Treasure Tuesday
That's amazing :-D
ReplyDeleteIt does not look like a dragon head though
DeleteBella cascada en forma de cola de caballo.
ReplyDeleteFan shaped waterfall
DeleteBuena imagen has captado. Debes de haber disfrutado mucho de ese precioso paisaje, que forma la cascada.
ReplyDeleteVery chilly air at the time
DeleteWhat a wonderful photo. The details in the streams of water is amazing. It almost looks like a fine painting.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the hike there
DeleteAmazing photo!
ReplyDeleteVery nice capture.
ReplyDeleteThat's a fabulous capture.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Lovely waterfall. It looks like a bride's vail coming down the mountain. Just because you didn't have your large SLR camera, it didn't matter. The resulting photo is still good.
ReplyDeletePhotographs are meaningful when we can tie them to how we experienced a certain, time, place and feeling.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful. I would love to see this in person.
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining the Awww Mondays Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Awww Monday and week. ☺
I hope you are doing well, dear friend 🧡
ReplyDeleteThe falls are both weird and wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHAPPY MosaicMonday... 🌻
ReplyDelete...and again, I say thank you for sharing your Post with this wonderful scene.
Many times photos are meant to remind us of the story behind them...
ReplyDeleteWonderful looking falls with a lot of water cascading down - a sight to see for sure and listen to.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful waterfalls! Take care, enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteEs muy impresionante la forma en que el agua se desliza para terminar cayendo en el cauce del río.
ReplyDeleteUn abrazo.
Beautiful and unusual waterfall. Great pic!
ReplyDeleteThat photo, that encounter, was a rare gift indeed. I've never seen a falls divided like that. How wonderful and what a memory.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful and such a wonderful memory.
ReplyDeleteEs una casada de gran belleza, la cual creo enamoraría a mas de uno.
ReplyDeleteSaludos.
It reminds me of tree roots for some reason.
ReplyDeleteVery cool! What a lovely falls!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2025/09/a-glimpse-back.html
...you captured the waterfall beautifully!
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining the Happy Tuesday Blog Hop.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous Happy Tuesday. ☺
Very beautiful. I love how the water is spreading near the base of the fall.
ReplyDeleteHappy WW, Roentare!
Beautiful waterfalls!
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous Wordless Wednesday. ☺