Renge Falls is found at the end of a very narrow and windy road in the mountains around Moniwa in northern Fukushima. There is a somewhat overgrown parking area and a rickety old temple, and the walk to the waterfalls is a short 10 minutes or so on a fairly flat track.

Your first view of the falls is from a short distance, with the tall trees and steep (but low) hills a very attractive setting for this short walk.

As with almost all waterfall walks in Japan, it would be spectacular at any time of year – surrounded by red and yellow leaves in autumn, deep in snow during winter, beautiful young green leaves in spring and a cool and dark green escape from the summer heat. This year, due to a very dry rainy season, the water levels were quite low.

A front on view of the waterfall. Low water levels allowed shots from quite close.

Waterfalls of Fukushima: Renge Falls

The falls are famous for the rocks that resemble a “Jizou-san” (stone statue which are common in temples and so on). As with many Japanese natural sites, there are numerous indications that the area is special – such as the ropes tied around one of the larger trees; the two little buddhist figures watching over the fall and a small stone shrine.

A small stone shrine near the waterfall

The caretakers of the waterfall

Renge Falls in Fukushima, Japan

The falls are located on a narrow side road off the 399 main road between Iizaka (Fukushima) and Moniwa Dam. The turn off is signpoosted (in Japanese). The road is very narrow, and gravel for the last 1km or so.