This photo shows a fallen rock, front right, believed to have hit a public toilet, back left, at Shosenkyo Gorege in Kofu. (Photo courtesy of the Kofu Municipal Government)

       KOFU -- Large rocks fell onto a public toilet on a road along a gorge popular with tourists in this central Japan city, and partially destroyed the facility, it was learned after a local tourism official reported it to the city on the morning of Dec. 19.

       According to the Kofu Municipal Government, no one was injured on the city road, which is a trail along Shosenkyo Gorge known for its oddly shaped rocks and beautiful natural scenery. It is believed that the rocks fell between the night of Dec. 18 and the following morning, and the city has closed part of the trail to investigate the cause and confirm safety.

       The city government explained there was a rock as long as about 5 meters on one side on the Arakawa River running through the gorge, and another rock with a maximum length of about 1.5 meters on one side on the trail. The wall and other parts of the public restroom were destroyed, and it is believed that the rock that fell on the river hit the toilet.

       The city has closed about 1 kilometer of the trail, including the area around the main peak Kakuenpo and observation point Yume no Matsushima. The duration of the closure is yet to be determined, but the area upstream near Senga Falls is open to visitors.

       Rockfalls occur naturally and often at Shosenkyo, and the city is urging tourists to be careful.

       (Japanese original by Yusuke Tanabe, Kofu Bureau)

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