Guidebook
Lonely Planet Japan
Lonely Planet · 2024
The 18th edition covers Nikko, the Kii Peninsula and Ibaraki, so one book handles Kegon, Nachi and Fukuroda.
Japan · Aoi-ku
Abe Great Falls
Abe Great Falls is a waterfall in northern Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Japan, in the upper reaches of the Abe River. It is also sometimes referred to as the Suruga Great Falls or the Otome Falls .
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Abe Great Falls drops 80 metres (262 ft) across a face roughly 4 metres wide on the Abe River. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Shizuoka, Japan. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a plunge waterfall, water leaves the rock entirely and falls free through the air.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Abe Great Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Shizuoka are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Getting there
- Base town Shizuoka, Japan
- Country Japan
- Region Aoi-ku, East Asia, Asia
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Abe Great Falls
Japan
Height80 mWidth4 m
Most similar
Kegon Falls
Japan
Height97 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in Japan too
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
80 m
97 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Abe Great FallsKegon FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Abe Great Falls
4 m
Angel Falls is 12× taller than Abe Great Falls. Victoria Falls is 1.4× taller and 427× wider. Khone Phapheng Falls is 2696× wider. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
The Rough Guide to JapanRough Guides
Guidebook
The Rough Guide to Japan
Rough Guides · 2024
A current alternative to Lonely Planet, with practical detail on rail passes and getting to Nikko and the Kii Peninsula.
DK Eyewitness JapanDK Eyewitness
Guidebook
DK Eyewitness Japan
DK Eyewitness · 2024
Illustrated coverage of Nikko's shrines and the Kumano sites, handy for understanding what surrounds Kegon and Nachi.
On the map
35.29972, 138.35167
Quick answers
Where is Abe Great Falls?
Abe Great Falls is in Japan (Aoi-ku). The nearest base is Shizuoka, Japan. Its coordinates are 35.2997, 138.3517.
How tall is Abe Great Falls?
Abe Great Falls drops 80 metres (262 feet), across a face about 4 metres wide. It is a plunge-type waterfall on the Abe River.
When is the best time to visit Abe Great Falls?
Peak flow is May to July and October to November. Snowmelt and the June rains fill the falls; October and November add autumn colour.
What can you do at Abe Great Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Abe Great Falls?
The usual base is Shizuoka, Japan. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Abe Great Falls
Shiraito Falls (Fujinomiya)
Japan · 20 m · 20 km away
Shiraito Falls is a waterfall in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, near Mount Fuji, Japan.
Otodome Falls
Japan · 25 m · 20 km away
Otodome Falls is a waterfall in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, near Mount Fuji, Japan. This waterfall with…
Kitashōji Falls
Japan · 35 m · 50 km away
Kitashōji Falls is a waterfall in northern Yamanashi Prefecture Japan, on the Ishiutoro River, an upper…
Senga Falls
Japan · 50 km away
Senga Falls is a waterfall in northern Kōfu, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, on the Arakawa River, an upper…