Oirase Gorge, Towada

Oirase gorge is one of our favorite places in all of Japan. We’ve visited the gore two summers in a row! There has never been a greener place! The trees, the moss, wow! The forest and river are beautiful and even in the rain, this is a must see. We park at the northern parking area near the public restroom when we visit and start our walk from there. If you visit, take your time. This is not a 15 minute stop. Walk all the way, take pictures, listen to the river. It’s worth it.

The gorge itself was great, and luckily when I went the autumn colours was in full swing. I visited by taking the bus from Yasumiya JR Bus Towadako and stopped at Ishigedo as suggested by the staff in the hotel. He mentioned that it was prettier to walk up towards the lake than from the lake. During my visit they were encouraging people to take the bus instead of taking their own cars to the gorge to limit congestion. Once I visited I understood why. Despite being a weekday there were lots of cars and some of the drivers would just stop their cars wherever they please to take pictures, making it dangerous for other drivers to pass. If you are visiting, please take the bus or park responsibly.