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 · Zaō-machi
Sankai Falls
Sankai Falls is a waterfall in Zaō, Katta District, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, in on the Sumikawa 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.
Sankai Falls drops 181 metres (594 ft) across a face roughly 7 metres wide on the Sumikawa River. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Zao, 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 Sankai Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Zao are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Getting there
- Base town Zao, Japan
- Country Japan
- Region Zaō-machi, East Asia, Asia
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Sankai Falls
Japan
Height181 mWidth7 m
Most similar
Shahandasht Waterfall
Iran
Height180 mWidth—
Also a plunge 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
108 m
180 m
181 m
330 m
979 m
Victoria FallsShahandasht WaterfallSankai FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Sankai Falls
7 m
Angel Falls is 5.4× taller than Sankai Falls. It drops 1.7× further than Victoria Falls (108 m), but Victoria's curtain is 244× wider. Khone Phapheng Falls is 1540× 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
38.1345, 140.529
Quick answers
Where is Sankai Falls?
Sankai Falls is in Japan (Zaō-machi). The nearest base is Zao, Japan. Its coordinates are 38.1345, 140.5290.
How tall is Sankai Falls?
Sankai Falls drops 181 metres (594 feet), across a face about 7 metres wide. It is a plunge-type waterfall on the Sumikawa River.
When is the best time to visit Sankai 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 Sankai 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 Sankai Falls?
The usual base is Zao, Japan. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Sankai Falls
Akiu Great Falls
Japan · 55 m · 17 km away
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Namekawa Great Falls
Japan · 100 m · 50 km away
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Nanatsu Falls
Japan · 100 m · 70 km away
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Shiraito Falls (Tozawa)
Japan · 80 km away
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