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 · Yonezawa
Namekawa Great Falls
Namekawa Great Falls is a waterfall located in the city of Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, on a branch of the Abukuma River. 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.
Namekawa Great Falls drops 100 metres (328 ft) on the Abukuma River. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Yonezawa, 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 Namekawa Great Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Yonezawa are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Getting there
- Base town Yonezawa, Japan
- Country Japan
- Region Yonezawa, East Asia, Asia
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Namekawa Great Falls
Japan
Height100 mWidth—
Most similar
Piran waterfall
Iran
Height100 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall, of similar height and in Iran
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
100 m
100 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Namekawa Great FallsPiran waterfallVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 9.8× taller than Namekawa Great Falls. It is about the same height as Victoria Falls (108 m). We don't have a reliable crest width for Namekawa Great 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
37.77889, 140.22083
Quick answers
Where is Namekawa Great Falls?
Namekawa Great Falls is in Japan (Yonezawa). The nearest base is Yonezawa, Japan. Its coordinates are 37.7789, 140.2208.
How tall is Namekawa Great Falls?
Namekawa Great Falls drops 100 metres (328 feet). It is a cascade-type waterfall on the Abukuma River.
When is the best time to visit Namekawa 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 Namekawa 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 Namekawa Great Falls?
The usual base is Yonezawa, Japan. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
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Shiraito Falls (Tozawa)
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