Winter Fun: Nyuhogataki Waterfall and Meya Tofu in Nishimeya Village

  • Aomori
  • Sightseeing
Nyuhogataki Waterfall: Courtesy of Nishimeya Village

The waterfall where the harvest of the year's crops is predicted

Although Nishimeya Village is deep in snow, there is a special winter treat to be had only in winter.
Nyuhogataki Waterfall (Niogataki), surrounded by large cedar trees some 300 years old, cascades silently down from a height of about 33 meters. Outside of winter, visitors can enjoy the fresh greenery and autumn leaves, and because the rock surface around the waterfall has been hollowed out, visitors can walk to the back side of the waterfall and enjoy it from the other side, where a statue of Fudo is enshrined.
Nyuhogataki in early summer (photo taken in June 2025)
In winter, the waterfall changes its appearance. The waterfall, which quietly flows down like a white thread, gradually freezes over from late January. However, this is a formative beauty created by nature. Depending on the weather conditions, such as temperature and humidity, the waterfalls may not freeze over in some years.
The "Nyuhogataki Ice Festival" is held every year on the third Sunday of February. The festival includes "fortune-telling" to predict the year's harvest according to the thickness and shape of the frozen waterfall, "goma prayer," and "hiwado-aragyo" (an ancient ritual to perform fire-fighting). This festival was discontinued in 2020 due to the aging of the local population and the Corona disaster, but will be revived in 2025 for the first time in five years.
We visited the day after this "Nyuhogataki Ice Festival. Now, how will the waterfall look like in 2025?

Walking carefully through the deep snow

Photo taken February 18, 2025
Photo taken February 18, 2025
Unfortunately, the waterfall was not frozen this year. However, with the quiet sound of the falling waterfalls and the clear winter air, we were able to spend a calming time as if we were in another world.
In early February, the waterfalls will be illuminated at night. Please visit Nyuhogataki Falls, which looks different at night as well.

Tofu that can be enjoyed only in winter 【Meya Tofu

The roadside station "Tsugaru Shirakami" and beach Nijimeya are located about 3 minutes by car from Nyuhogataki Falls. When you hear the word "beach", you may think "beach" in the mountains where there is no sea! Actually, beach means sandy beach, but beech means beech. It is a name unique to Nishimeya Village, the gateway to the Shirakami Mountains.
Roadside Station "Tsugaru Shirakami" and Beach Nijimeya exterior
There is something that is sold only during the winter (from late December to April) at this beach-nishimeya. That is "Meya Tofu.
Meya-dofu used to be made in the Sunagose and Kawaradaira areas of Nishimeya Village. Production was once interrupted by the relocation of residents due to the construction of the Tsugaru Dam, but was revived in 2014 after improvements were made to the production method.
Using subsoil water from the Shirakami Mountains and 100% Nishimeya soybeans, the tofu is made in limited quantities daily at the adjacent food processing center, Ajina Kobo.
We visited on a weekday near noon. Worried that the limited quantities would run out, we took a peek and...there it was!
Found in the refrigerated section
When we held it in our hands, it was heavy, unlike the tofu we usually buy! And it did not fall apart at all when I lifted it with chopsticks. First, I tried it as it was, but it was more concentrated than cotton (momen) tofu, and I could really taste the bean flavor. I also tried it in a kimchi nabe, and not only was it easy to pick up with chopsticks, but I was able to enjoy the taste of the tofu while absorbing the thick flavor of the kimchi nabe's broth.
This is Meya Tofu
I put it on a plate.
The "Ajina Kobo" where this Meya Tofu is made offers a winter-only hands-on experience of making "Meya Tofu". Making and eating your own tofu is also very special.
In winter, it can be a bit of a chore to go outside, but you should definitely try to find some winter fun.
Nishimeya/Shirakami Area General Tourism Portal
Roadside Station "Tsugaru Shirakami"/Beach Nishimeya Official WEB Site

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