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 · Kagoshima Prefecture
Ogawa Falls
Ogawa Falls is located in Minamiōsumi, Kagoshima, Japan, the town in the southern tip of the Osumi Peninsula. It is a 46-meter waterfall, 60 meters in extended width, in the midstream of the Ogawa River.
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.
Ogawa Falls drops 46 metres (151 ft) on the Ogawa River, inside Kirishima-Kinkōwan National Park. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Minamiosumi, 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 Ogawa Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Minamiosumi are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Getting there
- Base town Minamiosumi, Japan
- Country Japan
- Region Kagoshima Prefecture, East Asia, Asia
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Ogawa Falls
Japan
Height46 mWidth—
Most similar
Hum Hum Waterfall
Bangladesh
Height45 mWidth—
Also a cascade waterfall, of similar height and in Bangladesh
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
45 m
46 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Hum Hum WaterfallOgawa FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 21× taller than Ogawa Falls. Victoria Falls is 2.3× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for Ogawa 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
31.20031, 130.82528
Quick answers
Where is Ogawa Falls?
Ogawa Falls is in Japan (Kagoshima Prefecture), inside Kirishima-Kinkōwan National Park. The nearest base is Minamiosumi, Japan. Its coordinates are 31.2003, 130.8253.
How tall is Ogawa Falls?
Ogawa Falls drops 46 metres (151 feet). It is a cascade-type waterfall on the Ogawa River.
When is the best time to visit Ogawa 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 Ogawa 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 Ogawa Falls?
The usual base is Minamiosumi, Japan. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
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