Ryuzugataki Falls

Published: Aug 11, 2026

Updated: Aug 11, 2026

RyuzugatakiwaterfallUnnancave100 Waterfalls

Representative image — not a photograph of this location.

Ryuzugataki is two waterfalls: the female fall at 30 metres and the male fall at 40, the larger of which is described as the finest in the Chugoku region. Together with the nearby Yaedaki they are on the national list of one hundred notable waterfalls.

The reason to make the walk is that you can get behind the male fall. A cave in the rock face behind the water holds a Kannon figure, the Taki Kannon, and you stand in it with the fall coming down in front of you — a form known in Japanese as urami no taki, a fall seen from behind. From the car park the path climbs on a gentle forest track and then a stepped section: about five minutes to the female fall and another ten to the male one. It is a short walk to something genuinely unusual, in a valley that sees almost nobody outside the August festival.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

Open access | No lighting after dark

Closed: Open year-round | Paths hazardous in snow and ice

Entrance Fee

Free | Free parking

Best Season

July–August for the cool valley and full flow | Late October–November for autumn colour

Visit Duration

45–60 minutes

Getting There

Access Information

Matsukasa, Kakeya-cho, Unnan. Car required — about 30 minutes from JR Kisuki Station via Prefectural Route 39, following the signs. Two car parks, lower and upper; coaches use the upper one. Free to visit. From the car park it is about 5 minutes on foot to the female fall and a further 10 minutes to the male fall.

Insider Guide

Premium

**Go behind the male fall.** The cave behind the 40-metre fall, with the Taki Kannon in it, is the point of coming here. It is a short scramble off the main viewing area and easy to miss if you stop at the front. **Expect to get damp.** Spray reaches into the cave and the rock underfoot is permanently wet. Grippy shoes, and keep a camera protected. **Fifteen minutes up, but stepped.** The lower section is an easy forest track; the last part to the male fall is stairs. It is short, but not step-free. **Time it after rain.** Volume varies noticeably and the fall is considerably more impressive a day or two after heavy rain than in a dry spell. Midsummer is also when the valley is coolest and most worth being in. **Add Yaedaki.** The neighbouring falls share the national listing and are a short drive away along a valley walk with a string of cascades. The two together make an easy half-day in a part of Unnan that has no other visitors in it.

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