Jeffrey Friedl's Blog » Cooling Down at the Kuuya-taki Waterfall

Cooling Down at the Kuuya-taki Waterfall

by Jeffrey Friedl Mon, August 13th, 2012 1:12am JST (11 years, 8 months ago)

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Who Needs a T-Shirt? when you have a waterfall photo by Yoshimi Tabata -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Yoshimi Tanata, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — ¹/60 sec, f/5, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Who Needs a T-Shirt?
when you have a waterfall
photo by Yoshimi Tabata

I wrote in yesterday's post about great T-Shirts for Kyoto's hot summer, but took advantage of an even better situation today when I made a visit to the Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) in western Kyoto. It was my third visit, and I've posted about it at length before, such as “Finally Reaching the Kuuya-taki Waterfall in Western Kyoto” last month.

Anthony and I went with some friends from France, Anne and Yoshi, and 10-year-old Nao. I have much I want to post, but lacking energy this evening I'll put just a few shots.

Heading Up -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Heading Up

Through The First Gate -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 102mm — ¹/250 sec, f/2.8, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Through The First Gate

Checking It Out -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 125mm — ¹/250 sec, f/3.2, ISO 3600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Checking It Out

Really Tall -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 82mm — ¹/200 sec, f/3.2, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Really Tall

There was much less water than when I visited last (which had been the day after we got smacked by a typhoon). Compare this shot from then with this one from today:

A Relative Trickle -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/10 sec, f/2.8, ISO 125 — map & image data — nearby photos
A Relative Trickle

It's just as well because last time it was really painful to be under the water... it felt like sledge hammers falling non stop on your head. This time it was just fun.

Climbing To The Top photo by Yoshimi Tabata -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Yoshimi Tanata, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 58mm — ¹/50 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Climbing To The Top
photo by Yoshimi Tabata

Made It! photo by Anthony Friedl -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Anthony Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 66mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 900 — map & image data — nearby photos
Made It!
photo by Anthony Friedl

No, I didn't really climb the waterfall to the top, though the part I did climb was really easy, so perhaps someone with guts could have done it. Rather, I took a path that had a chain to help on the steep ascent, so it was really quite easy. Returning down by the same path was only slightly more worrisome... it's always easier to go up than down.

Starting The Return Trip photo by Anthony Friedl -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Anthony Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
Starting The Return Trip
photo by Anthony Friedl

Wider View photo by Anthony Friedl -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Anthony Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/50 sec, f/2.8, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Wider View
photo by Anthony Friedl

Chain Makes it Easy photo by Anthony Friedl -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Anthony Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Chain Makes it Easy
photo by Anthony Friedl

King of the World this kid is native-fluent in English, French, German, and Japanese, and has no idea that it's special photo by Yoshimi Tabata -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Yoshimi Tanata, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 32mm — ¹/60 sec, f/5, ISO 1100 — map & image data — nearby photos
King of the World
this kid is native-fluent in English, French, German, and Japanese,
and has no idea that it's special
photo by Yoshimi Tabata

The light in the waterfall valley was really rich on this mostly-cloudy day...

Splash of Sun -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 34mm — ¹/80 sec, f/2.8, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Splash of Sun

Canopy -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Canopy

desktop background image of three red maple leaves amid a canopy of green -- Standouts -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 130mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Standouts

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Twisty more of the vines mentioned on “ Beyond The Staircase Ruins ” -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Twisty
more of the vines mentioned on “Beyond The Staircase Ruins”

In a project with the boys that would have certainly met with my own mom's approval, Yoshi turned a haphazard stream into a series of pretty steps...

Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 150mm — ¹/640 sec, f/2.8, ISO 4000 — map & image data — nearby photos

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/320 sec, f/2.8, ISO 1800 — map & image data — nearby photos

After the lucky success of the lens flare in last week's “This Evening’s Sunset in Kyoto” I tried it on purpose here, but it fell flat...

Snooooze -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/30 sec, f/6.3, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Snooooze

One of the Many Statues surrounding the falls -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 70mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 10000 — map & image data — nearby photos
One of the Many Statues
surrounding the falls

Heading Home perhaps checking out Nicolas' Bug -- Kuuya-taki Waterfall (空也滝) -- Kyoto, Japan -- Copyright 2012 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 200mm — ¹/160 sec, f/2.8, ISO 10000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Heading Home
perhaps checking out Nicolas' Bug

京都市の空也滝で良いレンスを無くしませんでしたか？今日、拾った。あなたのものだったら、詳しい情報と一緒に連絡して下さい。

While we were there, I found a pretty nice lens tucked in a weather-protected spot (tucked so well that perhaps that's why the owner walked off without it). I've put notes in English and Japanese on Facebook and Google Plus about it, but I may as well mention it here as well... if it's your lens, contact me with the particulars.

June	20th,	2012	A Snapshot From Today's Hike: Kuuya-taki Waterfall in Western Kyoto
July	4th,	2012	Discovery On The Way to The Waterfall
July	8th,	2012	Finally Reaching the Kuuya-taki Waterfall in Western Kyoto
July	22nd,	2012	Beyond The Staircase Ruins at the Kuuya-taki Waterfall
July	23rd,	2012	On The Way From The Kuuya-taki Waterfall
August	6th,	2012	This Evening's Sunset in Kyoto
August	11th,	2012	Uniqlo Dry Color T: My New Summer Wardrobe
July	5th,	2013	A Drenched Visit to the Kuuya-Taki Waterfall in Western Kyoto
March	3rd,	2015	A Bicycle Ride to the Kuuya-taki Waterfall in Western Kyoto with Manseki Kanemitsu
January	4th,	2016	Lazy New-Year Break and Reflections on Last Year's Cycling
September	26th,	2017	Joshua's Eclectic Birthday Ride

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All 4 comments so far, oldest first...

Well, the kid is not native-fluent in English yet, but understands it pretty well. As for the other 3 languages it’s true. You offered this kid and his proud parents a WONDERFUL day, you really make people happy (= good idea to require this word for sending a comment). Thanks a million times for that great day!!! We are so glad to know you!
Anne

— comment by Anne on August 13th, 2012 at 9:19am JST (11 years, 8 months ago) — comment permalink

You really should take the lens to a police department near the spot where you found it, I doubt the person reads Facebook and Google Plus (maybe that’s what you did.)

I’m giving it a week, then bringing it to the local koban (police station). Oddly, I had been there that very morning to help return a lady’s handbag that my friend found in the street near my place. —Jeffrey

— comment by Banned on August 14th, 2012 at 1:32am JST (11 years, 8 months ago) — comment permalink

I am writing from Gyeongsan-si, South Korea (right out side of Daegu). I am taking a trip to Kyoto next month and would love to see the falls. I have searched google to find information on how to get to the falls but have not succeeded in finding clear directions. I would really appreciate it if you could tell me how to get to Kuuya-no-Taki Falls. Your pictures are incredible and I want to take some of my own. Please get back to me when you get the chance. Thanks!!

The entrance from the road is at latitude/longitude of 35.051208, 135.651245 (see the map link under this photo), so you might try Google Maps driving directions from wherever you’ll be (e.g. Kyoto Station) to that. The nearest public transport that I know of is to a bus stop 2.3km down the mountain. The road from there is through a small village for a short distance, then it’s a narrow dead-end road (seen here) for the rest of the way. Bicycle, scooter, or foot are the way to go… I don’t recommend car. (I took a car once and it was extremely nerve wracking.) —Jeffrey

— comment by Karli Folio on April 7th, 2015 at 12:46pm JST (9 years ago) — comment permalink

Hi Jeffrey,
My husband Kaz and son Yoshi enjoyed
Kiyotaki yesterday!
Great photos.
Check the spelling
It is Kiyotaki.

Kiyotaki (清滝) is a different, more well-known place a few kilometers closer to town. —Jeffrey

— comment by Jane on July 31st, 2015 at 11:00am JST (8 years, 9 months ago) — comment permalink