South Tokyo · SetagayaNo.078★Open in map →
Todoroki Ravine
A wooded ravine about one kilometre long along the Yazawa River in Setagaya, three minutes from the station — the only true gorge within Tokyo's 23 central wards, ending at a Buddhist temple and a small waterfall.
Todoroki Ravine follows the Yazawa River as it cuts a shaded corridor through the Musashino Plateau in southern Setagaya. A red arched footbridge called Golf Bridge marks the entrance, and a riverside path continues past cliff faces, spring-fed streams and thick greenery to Todoroki Fudo temple at the far end. Below the temple, spring water falls from the cliff as Fudo Falls, long used by monks for purification training. The exposed cliffs along the way reveal the geological layers of the plateau. Local tradition says the roaring sound of this water gave the area its name: Todoroki means "to roar." The ravine is inside the city rather than the countryside, and train lines pass nearby.
Why it stays quiet
English travel guides push the big shrines, so a wooded gorge tucked inside a Setagaya neighbourhood rarely appears in them. The entrance is an easy-to-miss stairway beside a road bridge, which keeps it off the main tourist flow.
Background & history
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government designated the ravine a scenic site (meisho) in 1999. Todoroki Fudo temple is recorded as a branch of Manganji temple in the Shingon school of Japanese Buddhism. Fudo Falls, the spring-water fall below the temple, has been known by that name for centuries and was historically used by monks for purification training (takigyo).
What to look for — in walking order
- Golf Bridge
- a red arched footbridge at the ravine entrance, named for a golf course that once lay beyond it
- Riverside path and cliffs
- a shaded trail past exposed layers of the Musashino Plateau, spring-fed streams and seasonal greenery
- Todoroki Fudo temple
- a Shingon Buddhist temple on the hillside with a wooden viewing deck; a branch of Manganji temple
- Fudo Falls
- a spring-water fall below the temple, historically used for purification training; the sound said to give the area its name
How to enjoy it
Enter near Todoroki Station by descending beside Golf Bridge and follow the riverside path the full length to the temple and falls. The greenery is at its most striking from late spring through summer. Sections of the path can close after heavy rain for tree and path repair — check conditions on the Setagaya Ward website before making a long trip.
How to actually get there
- Shibuya Stn → Jiyugaoka Stn (Tokyu Toyoko Line express, ~7 min).
- Jiyugaoka Stn → Todoroki Stn (transfer to Tokyu Oimachi Line, ~7 min).
- Todoroki Stn → ravine entrance (walk down beside Golf Bridge, ~3 min).
- Toyoko Line + Oimachi Line
- Shibuya Stn →(Tokyu Toyoko Line express, ~7 min)→ Jiyugaoka Stn → transfer →(Tokyu Oimachi Line local, ~7 min)→ Todoroki Stn. Total ~20 min of travel plus a short transfer. Both lines run every few minutes through the day, so no timetable planning is needed.
- reverse the route
- From Todoroki Stn take the Oimachi Line back to Jiyugaoka, then the Toyoko Line to Shibuya. Trains run frequently until late evening, so no fixed return time is needed.
Before you go
- Cash
- The ravine is free to walk. There is a small tea house near the temple; carry some cash, as small shops may not take cards.
- Closing days
- Parts of the path can close after storms for safety. Check the Setagaya Ward website before going.
- Another way
- If the ravine path is closed after rain, the Fudo temple and its garden can still be reached on foot from the road above.
- After you get off
- From Todoroki Stn, leave by the south exit, cross the main road, and take the stairway down beside Golf Bridge into the gorge — about 3 min on foot.