town in Kamo district, Shizuoka prefecture, Japan
Kawazu (Japanese: 河津) is a small town in south-central Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka, Japan.
Kawazu, "River Harbor", marks the spot where the Kawazu river, which runs down the slopes of Mt. Amagi at the center of Izu, runs down to the coast near Shimoda. The town runs a long way up the river valley, but the name "Kawazu" usually refers to the coastal end near the railway station, while the hot spring village at the other end of the valley is known as Nanadaru Onsen (七滝温泉).
The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.
🌍 Kawazu Station (河津駅) is on the private Izu-Kyuko line from Shimoda to Atami. In addition to local services up and down the coast, it's served by four direct JR Odoriko limited express services daily from Tokyo via Atami.
If coming by car, Kawazu stretches out along Route 414, the main central artery of the peninsula. It's a twisty and tunnel-y drive, and the slightly absurd double-360 of the 🌍 Kawazu-Nanadaru Loop Bridge is a minor attraction in itself.
Kawazu is famous for its seven waterfalls (七滝 Nanadaru; note the dialectal daru instead of the usual taki). A pleasant one-kilometer walk leads past spots with views of them all, ranging from the 30-meter Ōdaru ("Big Falls") to the 2-meter Kanidaru ("Crab Falls").
Kawazu is prime wasabi territory and shops advertising the root are everywhere.