Top›Report Article ›People with disabilities can also experience waterfall play at “Hisetsu-no-takiFalls Campsite” located at the southernmost tip of Mie Prefecture!

At the southernmost tip of Mie Prefecture, "Hisetsu-no-takiFalls Campsite", people with disabilities can also experience waterfall play!

掲載日：2021.03.19

"Hisetsu-no-takiFalls Campsite" is located near the Kumano River that separates Mie Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture, and is the southernmost campground in Mie Prefecture, home to a beautiful waterfall with a height of 30 meters called Hisetsu-no-takiFalls no Taki. In an environment surrounded by nature, there are plenty of facilities such as tent sites and cottages, as well as a store, exchange facility (front desk), cooking building, and barbecue building.
All eight of the cottages are barrier-free, making the facility friendly for the elderly and people with physical disabilities.
I heard that a new barrier-free tourism initiative using the famous Hisetsu-no-takiFalls is being promoted at the Hisetsu-no-takiFalls campground, so I decided to visit it.

At Hisetsu-no-takiFalls Campsite, activities using the waterfall are popular, such as swimming in the basin of the waterfall and riding a safe inflatable canoe called "Ducky".
Therefore, we introduced a secret weapon in order to allow people with physical disabilities to enjoy this waterfall play.
That is this “Beach Star”!

This beach wheelchair floats on water even when carrying a person, thanks to its extra-thick, low-pressure tires that won't sink even when driving on sandy soil, and the float that doubles as an armrest.
Therefore, people working on barrier-free tourism are holding a hands-on experience and training session on waterfall play with Beach Star, so that people can play in a safer and more comfortable manner.

The instructors this time were Chie Nakamura and Megumi Nakayama from Ise-Shima Barrier Free Tour Center.
He is an expert in barrier-free tourism and regularly consults with the elderly and people with disabilities regarding travel, and provides advice on making facilities barrier-free.

In addition, members of the Minamichita Universal Beach Project in Aichi Prefecture, which works to ensure that everyone can enjoy sea bathing, joined in, and the event was held in a friendly atmosphere with about 30 participants and staff.

The course will be held in front of Hisetsu-no-takiFalls, the symbol of the campsite, so participants will gather in wetsuits.

There is a paved slope all the way to the waterfall, making it easily accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.
Instructor Mr. Nakamura explains Beach Star and cautions when entering the water, and then the participants finally board the Beach Star.

The first person I experienced was Aoi Sagawa, an advisor for the Minamichita Universal Beach Project. Mr. Sagawa can walk slowly on flat roads, so he was able to use the handrails and armrests of his wheelchair to get into the wheelchair on his own.
Participating staff members requested that the Beach Star be firmly fixed so that it would not wobble when boarding.

The next person to experience it was Kentaro Doi, an advisor for the Minamichita Universal Beach Project. It is affectionately known as "Kenken".
Doi-kun was transferred from the wheelchair to the Beach Star with his mother holding him. The seat of the Beach Star was too large for Doi's small body, leaving a gap in his back, and the safety belt was placed too high, making it necessary to use a mat for the child's back and a child belt.

The third person was Hiroka Morioka of the Kinan Barrier-Free Study Group. Mr. Morioka was transferred from a wheelchair while being carried by a care worker. Wheelchair users use special cushions to disperse pressure on their buttocks and maintain their posture, but this person's advice is that it would be easier for Beach Star to sit if it had a similar cushion.
I learned that support methods differ depending on the type of disability and mobility, and how to confirm safety due to the differences in the bodies of adults and children.

After the transfer experience, we will finally enter the waterfall basin. The road to the base of the waterfall is not paved, but by laying down beach mats brought in by the Minamichita Universal Beach Project, we were able to safely navigate the gravel and sand path.

Doi-kun takes on the challenge at the beginning of the waterfall play experience. Campsite staff and members of the Minamichita Universal Beach Project will be in the water together.

Doi-kun is smiling like this as he plays with a waterfall for the first time! Although it was still chilly, they were playing by splashing water on each other.
"KenKen, that's amazing!" Everyone around me cheers.

Furthermore, we change to Ducky with Doi-kun's older sisters and head towards the waterfall. It looks like she's having fun rowing the oars with her older sister.

The next person to take on the challenge is Mr. Sagawa. We enjoyed the power and beauty of the waterfall while floating on the Beach Star.

We then changed to Ducky and entered directly below the waterfall. Experience the power of the waterfall with your entire body while getting soaked from head to toe!

After playing with the waterfall, warm up your cold body in the tent sauna prepared for this day.
Many people with disabilities are susceptible to hypothermia, so having an environment where they can immediately take a sauna or bath after playing in the water is said to be very helpful.

At the end of the day, instructors and participants shared their impressions and offered advice for the future.
Each person's physical condition and ability is different, so each person responds differently. The seminar was very fruitful, allowing everyone to play with waterfalls with peace of mind.

After the seminar, everyone toured the campsite facilities.
All of the cottages are barrier-free, and there is a ramp at the entrance, making it easy for wheelchairs and strollers to access. There are no steps inside the room, so moving around in a wheelchair is stress-free.

There are toilets and bathrooms with handrails, so even those who are hesitant about camping can use them with confidence.

Doi-kun and his mother also look happy and say, ``We can come here to play.''
The Ise-Shima Barrier-Free Tour Center, which has conducted barrier-free surveys of various facilities, has given us the approval, saying, ``This place is well-equipped and has a good environment, so we really recommend it.''

We also rent BBQ stoves, hammocks, life jackets, etc., and you can also use it for day trips such as playing in the waterfall or having a barbecue.

There are restrooms for wheelchair users and those with infants in the exchange facility and in front of the barbecue building, so why not stop by for a casual day camp first?

Tobiyuki no Hisetsu-no-takiFalls Campsite has the wish that "as many people as possible can play at Hisetsu-no-takiFalls."
As one of Mie Prefecture's most barrier-free tourist spots, we sincerely welcome people who want to enjoy the outdoors.

name

Hisetsu-no-takiFalls Campsite

address

1409-1 Asari, KihoTown Minamuro-gun

telephone number

0735-21-1333

Official URL

https://hisetsu.jp

Fee

Please check the official website for details.

business hours

Open all year round

holiday

Open all year round
*Telephone reception hours are 9:00-17:00
*Temporary closures may be required for facility management, maintenance, etc.

parking

can be

Access by public transportation

2 minutes from JR Shingu Station by getting off at Asari Jinja-mae Town Bus

Access by car

[From Nagoya]
From Kumano Owase Road Kumano Odomari IC, take National Route 42 towards Shingu for about 50 minutes (about 35 km)
[From Osaka]
From Kisei Expressway Susami Minami IC, take National Route 42 towards Shingu for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes (approximately 80 km)

Click here for details!