Nabegataki Falls

NabegatakiwaterfallOgunibehind the fallsAso

Kumamoto · Oguni

33.1266°N, 131.0203°E

Nabegataki is ten metres high and twenty wide, and the rock behind it is undercut deeply enough that a path runs along the back of the curtain. You walk behind the water and look out through it, which is why it is called an ura-mi no taki, a falls seen from behind. The hollow was formed by the Aso eruption of around 90,000 years ago.

A tea commercial made it nationally famous and the resulting traffic forced the town to act: since November 2021 entry has been by advance web booking, with a call centre for those who cannot book online, and on busy days there is no admission without a reservation. Entry is ¥300 for high school age and above, ¥150 for schoolchildren, and it is open nine to five with last entry at half past four. There are 120 steps.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Last entry 4:30 PM

Closed: Confirm seasonal closures | Entry by advance web booking, compulsory on peak days

Entrance Fee

¥300 high school students and above | ¥150 elementary and junior high school students | Free below school age

Best Season

Late April–May for fresh green | November for autumn colour

Visit Duration

60 minutes

Getting There

Access Information

Kurobuchi, Oguni, Aso District. About 1 hour by car from Hita IC, 1 hour from Kumamoto IC, or by car or taxi from the Michi-no-Eki Oguni Yu Station. Admission ¥300 for high school students and above, ¥150 for elementary and junior high school students and free below school age. Entry has been by advance web booking since November 2021; on peak days booking is compulsory and there is no entry without a reservation. Same-day online booking is possible; those unable to book online can arrange it on the day through the Aso Oguni tourism association. Phone. There are about 120 steps down to the falls.

Insider Guide

Premium

**Book online before you go.** Same-day booking works if you do it before arriving. **120 steps down, and back up.** Not a long walk but a real descent. Footwear matters, and the rock behind the falls is wet. **You get wet behind the curtain.** That is the experience. Cameras need protecting and so do phones. **Golden Week is fully reserved.** Peak periods run on a strict reservation-only basis. Turning up hopefully is a wasted drive from Kumamoto. **Combine with Kurokawa.** The onsen village is about twenty minutes away and the two are the standard northern Aso pairing.

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