Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Aha Falls, popular for outdoor swimming.
So, in fact, what's called Aha Falls has nothing to do with the Aha River or Dam. There's
no longer any waterfall there since it was dammed some years ago. But even though the Fuku
River is not the Aha River, both rivers end on the bay at Aha village and hence English speak-
ers started calling it Aha Falls because that's much easier to say than Tanaga-gumui, which is
what the Japanese call the place.
Like Hiji Falls, Tanaga-gumui is a popular hike and considered one of the best places for
a cool outdoor freshwater swim. Its clear waters are fed by its scenic cascading waterfall. Be-
cause the pool is deep in most places, a popular activity is to dive off the rocks above the
pond. Unfortunately, there are also submerged rocks that are not visible. A number of US ser-
vice members and others have been seriously injured here, and several have lost their lives.
It's forbidden to dive in this pool, although that prohibition doesn't seem to stop too many
people. The swimming is fine. Just be careful.
13
CAPE HEDO
辺戸岬
Let's return to where we started this side trip, back to the west side of the island at the junc-
tion of Routes 58 and 2 at Yona village. From the intersection it's just a bit over 10 miles
(16 kilometers) up to Cape Hedo (
辺戸岬
; Hedo-misaki), the northern-most tip of Okinawa.
Hedo Point, as it's also called, is the meeting place of the Pacific Ocean and East China Sea.
The cape's cliffs rise 230 feet (70 meters) above the blue waters and it's possible to see Yoron
Island (
与論島
; Yoron-tō) 14 miles (22 kilometers) to the north on a clear day. On the top of
the cliffs there's a memorial stone inscribed (in Japanese) with words of praise in commem-
oration of the 1972 return of the island back to Japan from US military control.
Far below, on windy days, the crashing waves of the sea and ocean can spray all the way
to the top and you'll need a raincoat. Few people would think of swimming at such times.
Here's the hidden danger: even on the calmest days, at certain times, generally the turning of
the tides, the waters swirl below with powerful undersea currents due to the mixing of the
