The Yoro Waterfall and the Legend of the Dutiful Son

This waterfall, located deep in the forest, is 30 meters high and 4 meters wide. This waterfall is very dynamic and the area around it is very cool even in summer. It is not strange that a legend such as that of the dutiful son grew naturally from this spot. The legend goes like this: One day a poor woodcutter named Genjonai was walking through the woods to find firewood. He came across a spring of gold-colored water among the moss-covered rocks. He cautiously drank the water and to his suprise found it to be a very high quality sake (rice wine). He filled his gourd container with this water and brought it to his elderly father who drank it with delight and felt many years younger. The news of this discovery soon reached the ears of Empress Gensho residing in the old capital of Nara. She herself went to see the spring and to taste its water. After tasting it, she felt a lot younger and decided to name it "the spring of youth." She even changed the name of the year to Yoro, the Year of Rejuvenation and conferred gifts on people over 80 years of age and commended the dutiful sons and daughters throughout Japan. The people of this area were also exempt from taxes.