Hatonosu Gorge

photo by 皓月旗 · CC BY-SA 4.0

500 m gorge with 40 m walls: swimming and diving banned, almost no accessibility

The Tama River carves a gorge of about 500 metres between rock walls up to 40 metres high, crossed by a suspension bridge, the Hatonosu-kobashi. From there on, the water flows among smooth boulders; swimming and diving are banned for safety, and noise from loudspeakers or musical instruments is banned in the same way, out of respect for the nearby guest accommodation.

The gorge takes its name from a local legend: two doves (鳩, hato) brooding peacefully in the same nest (巣, su) gave their name to the place and, by extension, to the workers' camp that grew up there. Across the suspension bridge, a path continues towards Shiromaru Dam and Kazuma Gorge.

ℹ️ Path always open, free; swimming, diving and loud noise are banned. About 10 minutes on foot from JR Hatonosu Station, Ōme Line (source: Okutama tourist association). Free car parks nearby, which fill up early on autumn foliage weekends; a section of the path may be temporarily closed for maintenance.

🚉 鳩の巣 · 4 min walk

Sources: okutama.gr.jp · ohtama.or.jp

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