Nachi Falls, Wakayama | Seeing It From Inside and Outside Are Two Completely Different Waterfalls

By Nihongo to Japan · Updated June 17, 2026

Entering Nachi Falls requires a separate ticket. ¥300. I thought about it for a moment — well, I'd come all this way. A 133-meter drop. Seeing it from outside and stepping inside are two entirely different experiences. Before I left, it started to snow.

Entering Nachi Falls requires a separate ticket. ¥300. I hesitated for a moment — well, I'd come all this way anyway.

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Worth it.

133 meters of drop. Outside and inside — two completely different waterfalls. Step inside and the sound of water swallows everything. Look up: the cliff top disappears into something faintly out of focus. In front of the falls stands a small shrine hung with shimenawa rope — Nachi Falls isn't a tourist attraction. It's a deity.

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Before I left, it started to snow.

Mist from the falls plus snowfall. A shrine. The sound of water. I didn't take a photo. I just stood there watching. The snow fell heavier. I finally left, reluctantly.

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Next to the falls: Seiganto-ji Temple and Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, white banners swaying in the wind. I'd originally planned to walk the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail but ran out of time and drove directly. A trail walked for hundreds of years — this is where it ends.

Travel Info

Nachisan is in Nachikatsuura-cho, Wakayama. About 30 minutes by bus from Kii-Katsuura Station. Separate entry to the Nachi Falls worship area (approx. ¥300) — buy it. About 3 hours by car from Osaka; pairs well with Hashiguiiwa in the same day.

Book Wakayama experiences on Klook:

https://klook.tpx.lv/IuSKdjjt