Tsuujunkyou aquaduct and Takachiho gorge
1 November 2008
Our second day with the rental car we went south of Mt. Aso, and the weather was much nicer than on our first rent-a-car day. We planned 2 big sights on this day, the first being the historical Tsuujunkyou aqueduct, and the second being Takachiho gorge.
When we came to the Tsuujunkyou aqueduct, we found out that they would not let the water flow for some time still, so we went around a bit as we had found out there would also be this waterfall and suspension bridge.
[HDR]
After we went over the suspension bridge, down to the waterfall, up through a nice bamboo grove and came back to the bridge...
[HDR] The water was flowing out! Actually, the aqueduct connects 2 bassins which are both higher than the aqueduct itself. Because the bassins are not equally high, the siphon principle makes the water still flow from the higher to the lower bassin, eventhough it has to pass over the much lower bridge. However, as the bridge is still the lowest point, sand and stones accumulate in the channels of the aqueduct, so from time to time they let the water flow from the lowes point to "clean" the channels, which is what you see happening here. [wiki (japanese)]
[HDR] The channel is cleaned at specific times (see website) or if you pay 5000 yen.
This was really a nice sight, with most of the (bus-tour) people staying down the bridge on one side, so if you go up there or you go down on the other side it is way more quiet. Also with the waterfall and natural bamboo grove as extras, it was really worthwile!
After some difficult navigation and driving around Takachiho we found a good parking and we started walking. We had stopped by the tourist info before and had decided that we would not take the little boats through the gorge, but just walk along it. (because of time and price)
[HDR]
[HDR] This is the place where we stopped on the way back to Kumamoto to eat some mikan (japanese mandarin oranges). We were looking fore a nice spot and using the car's navigation unit I found this place. It's called nanataki (seven waterfalls) close to Mifune-Machi, but there was almost no water, so we could climb the nice rock formations.
[HDR]
When we came to the Tsuujunkyou aqueduct, we found out that they would not let the water flow for some time still, so we went around a bit as we had found out there would also be this waterfall and suspension bridge.
[HDR]
After we went over the suspension bridge, down to the waterfall, up through a nice bamboo grove and came back to the bridge...
[HDR] The water was flowing out! Actually, the aqueduct connects 2 bassins which are both higher than the aqueduct itself. Because the bassins are not equally high, the siphon principle makes the water still flow from the higher to the lower bassin, eventhough it has to pass over the much lower bridge. However, as the bridge is still the lowest point, sand and stones accumulate in the channels of the aqueduct, so from time to time they let the water flow from the lowes point to "clean" the channels, which is what you see happening here. [wiki (japanese)]
[HDR] The channel is cleaned at specific times (see website) or if you pay 5000 yen.
This was really a nice sight, with most of the (bus-tour) people staying down the bridge on one side, so if you go up there or you go down on the other side it is way more quiet. Also with the waterfall and natural bamboo grove as extras, it was really worthwile!
After some difficult navigation and driving around Takachiho we found a good parking and we started walking. We had stopped by the tourist info before and had decided that we would not take the little boats through the gorge, but just walk along it. (because of time and price)
[HDR]
[HDR] This is the place where we stopped on the way back to Kumamoto to eat some mikan (japanese mandarin oranges). We were looking fore a nice spot and using the car's navigation unit I found this place. It's called nanataki (seven waterfalls) close to Mifune-Machi, but there was almost no water, so we could climb the nice rock formations.
[HDR]
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