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 · Aomori Prefecture
Matsumi Falls
Matsumi Falls is a waterfall in the city of Towada, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, on a tributary of the Oirase River, which flows down from Lake Towada. It is one of "Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls", in a listing published by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 1990.
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.
Matsumi Falls drops over a series of steps on the Oirase River. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Towada, Japan. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Matsumi Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Towada are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Getting there
- Base town Towada, Japan
- Country Japan
- Region Aomori Prefecture, East Asia, Asia
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Matsumi Falls
Japan
Height—Width—
Most similar
Hogenakkal Falls
India
Height20 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall and in India
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
20 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Hogenakkal FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
We don't have a reliable crest width for Matsumi Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. 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
40.55861, 140.90639
Quick answers
Where is Matsumi Falls?
Matsumi Falls is in Japan (Aomori Prefecture). The nearest base is Towada, Japan. Its coordinates are 40.5586, 140.9064.
When is the best time to visit Matsumi 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 Matsumi 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 Matsumi Falls?
The usual base is Towada, Japan. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
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