Atlas › Tanigawa-renpo (Gunma)
Dakikaeri-sawa
not verifiedpermit verified 2026-08-20
Ungraded
High flood risk
Minakami, Gunma
Twelve hours of nonstop waterfalls in the Yubiso drainage, capped by a 120 m four-tier headwall.
Classic Tanigawa hard sawanobori. Most parties run it as a long single day from Shiraga-mon trailhead. The continuous-cascade character means there is no easy out, the route commits you to climbing through the falls. Recommended only for parties with prior sawanobori experience and a leader comfortable on wet rock.
Logistics
| Manager | Joshinetsu-kogen NP, Forestry Agency |
|---|---|
| Permit | No permit is required for this drainage. Gunma Prefectural Police nonetheless ask every party going into the mountains to submit a climbing plan or a climbing card, which is standard practice for sawanobori. Note the regime next door: the Gunma Prefecture Tanigawa-dake Accident Prevention Ordinance designates the Ichinokura-dake south face rock area as a climbing danger zone. From 1 March to 30 November anyone entering it must file a tozan-todoke in duplicate at least 10 days ahead with the Tanigawa-dake Climbing Guidance Center in Yubiso, or submit online through Compass, and the ordinance carries penalties for entering without one. Danger-zone climbing is also banned outright during the spring snowmelt window from late March into late April, and discouraged from 1 December to the end of February. This canyon sits outside that zone, but the boundary is close enough to be worth knowing. |
| Distance | ~6 to 8 mi RT including 1.5 hr approach |
| Elevation | ~2,000 ft gain |
| Time | 12 hr car-to-car day |
| Technical | Continuous-cascade sawanobori in the Yubiso-gawa drainage. Reported as a sustained run of waterfalls top to bottom with a 120 m four-tier headwall requiring mixed scrambling and water crossings. Pools include Unagi-fuchi (Eel Pool) and a series of nameshou pitches. Sawanobori grade 3-jokyu (upper grade 3). Slippery vegetation, water-worn rock, and exposure on the upper pitches. Snow patches linger into July in the headwaters. |
| Season | Mid-July to mid-September. Outside summer the water is punishing. |
| Flood risk | High. Continuous flowing terrain with limited bail options once committed; the same Tanigawa-massif thunderstorm pattern applies. |
| Vehicle access | 2WD paved to the Shiraga-mon (Hakumo-mon) trailhead. |
| Crowd | Light to moderate. Less trafficked than Narumizu-sawa, considered a step up in seriousness. |
| Coordinates | 36.859, 138.946 |