Tallest plunge waterfall in Japan's Yamagata Pref. enchants visitors with illumination
Tamasudare no Taki in Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture, is a straight-drop waterfall where water plunges vertically without touching the rockface. The lighting, which creates a magical nighttime scene distinct from the daytime view, was started in 2000 by the Masuda neighborhood association as a community revitalization effort during Golden Week in the spring and August Bon holiday period.
Yoshimi Wakagi, 51, who visited with his family, said, "We could watch from so close that the spray hit us, and I was overwhelmed by the power of nature."
The illumination runs through Aug. 17, from sunset to 9 p.m. each night. Organizers ask visitors to make a 100-yen (about 68 cents) donation per person to help sustain the event.
(Japanese original by Kan Takeuchi, Yamagata Bureau)
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