Awamata Falls

Published: Aug 11, 2026

Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Awamata FallsYoro valleyOtakilate autumn foliageBoso

Representative image — not a photograph of this location.

Awamata is a broad shallow fall about thirty metres high on the upper Yoro river, and it is unlike most Japanese waterfalls in that the water slides down a wide rock apron rather than dropping — the whole face is a sheet of moving water across a sandstone slab, which is why it is sometimes called the sliding falls. You can walk right down to the pool.

It is the centrepiece of the Yoro valley, the main gorge system of the Boso peninsula, and the reason people from Tokyo drive an hour and a half in late November. Chiba is the last place in Honshu to turn — the autumn colour here peaks around the very end of November and into early December, weeks after everywhere else — which makes the Yoro valley the final stop of the season for people who want one more go at it. A trail links a string of smaller falls along the river.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

Open access | Daylight only

Closed: Open year-round | Paths may close after heavy rain

Entrance Fee

Free | Parking available

Best Season

Late November–early December for the latest autumn colour in Honshu | May for fresh green

Visit Duration

60–90 minutes | 2–3 hours for the falls trail

Getting There

Access Information

Awamata, Otaki, Isumi District. By car, about 32 km from Ichihara IC or 16 km from Ichihara-Tsurumai IC to the Ojikawa Jujiro junction, then about 4 km. By public transport, take the Kominato Railway to Yoro-Keikoku Station then the Kominato bus for Awamata about 14 minutes to the Awamata-no-Taki stop. Free to visit. The Awamata car park takes 37 cars and 3 large vehicles with toilets, about 10 minutes on foot from the falls; a second lot holds around 70 cars, about 15 minutes from the trail. Otaki tourist association 0470-82-2176.

Insider Guide

Premium

**Late November into early December.** Chiba turns later than anywhere else in Honshu. If you have missed the autumn colour elsewhere, this is where it is still happening. **Walk down to the water.** The apron is broad and shallow and the path reaches the pool. Standing at the foot of a sheet of water thirty metres wide is a different thing from looking at a plunge from a viewing deck. **Do the trail, not just the falls.** The Taki-meguri walking route links several falls along the Yoro river and is where the valley opens up. Allow a couple of hours. **Take the Kominato Railway.** The single-track line up from Goi is one of the pleasant small railways of the Kanto region and the bus meets it at Yoro-Keikoku. Driving on a late-November weekend means queuing. **There are hot springs in the valley.** Yoro-Keikoku onsen is nearby and the water comes out of the ground a distinctive dark brown from dissolved organic matter, which is worth a look on its own.

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