Falls and pagoda
Together.
Zairon — CC BY 4.0 · Alpsdake — CC0 · Zairon — CC BY 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY 4.0
Nachi Falls is a tall white column of water dropping down a grey cliff in dense forest in the mountains of the Kii Peninsula. A temple with a red three-storey pagoda stands on the facing hill, and the falls and pagoda together form one of Japan's best-known views. The water falls 133 m with a width of 13 m, the tallest single uninterrupted drop in Japan. The falls themselves are held sacred; two rocks at the top are seen as their guardians, and a priest makes offerings to the falls each morning. In 1918 ancient artefacts were found at the base, now shown in a treasure hall beside the pagoda. It is part of the Kumano Kodō UNESCO World Heritage Site. You walk down stone steps among giant cedars to a platform before the base of the falls, then climb to the pagoda to see the falls behind it. It is about 7 km in a straight line northwest of Nachikatsuura, reached by bus from the station. The steps are slippery after rain.
Together.
To the base.
Around the cliff.
Nachikatsuura, Wakayama Prefecture
By bus from Kii-Katsuura station.
One to three hours.