Kaminari Falls, the waterfall you see from behind.
Getting there, and what to watch for

In the Matsukawa Gorge, in Takayama Village, Nagano, there is a waterfall called Kaminari Falls.

Its other name is Urami no Taki, the waterfall seen from behind, because the path takes you round to the far side of the falling water. It is a different experience from a waterfall you only look at head-on.

Below we set out how to get there, when it is open, and what to watch for on the walkway, using information published by the Shinshu Takayama Village Tourism Association and by Takayama Village. It is about 15 minutes by car from MATSUKAWAKAN.

The drop is about 30m, and the path runs behind the water

According to the Shinshu Takayama Village Tourism Association, Kaminari Falls has a drop of about 30m. Its other name is Urami no Taki, and from behind you can watch the water falling away from you.

You are looking up through a curtain of water, so you will catch spray even on a clear day.

Kaminari Falls is designated cultural property by Takayama Village. The village records it as lying 142m in from the prefectural road, with the river 29m wide there and the left bank rising 40m. Duck under the overhanging rock and you come out behind the water.

The address is 3681-302 Okuyamada, Takayama Village, Kamitakai District, Nagano.

Entry is free, parking is six spaces, and there is a portable toilet

The Shinshu Takayama Village Tourism Association lists entry to Kaminari Falls as free, with no closing day.

The published parking counts differ by source. The Shinshu Takayama Village Tourism Association gives six spaces (five standard bays plus room for a few more); the official Nagano tourism site gives ten. Either way, there are not many.

There is one portable toilet. Facilities are limited, so it is worth setting off from Yamada Onsen ready.

From the car park you walk down a footpath to the falls. The official Nagano tourism site puts it at five minutes on foot from the Kaminari Falls entrance car park.

In the autumn season a temporary coach park is opened. Takayama Village directs coaches to set down at a temporary stop and park 600m further on, from where the falls are three minutes on foot.

It closes for winter; the walk is open from spring to mid-November

Kaminari Falls closes for the winter. The Shinshu Takayama Village Tourism Association gives late November to late April in the main text, and late November to early May in its notes.

In practice, the reliable window runs from spring to mid-November. Opening varies from year to year, so please check the current state on the Kaminari Falls footpath notice published by Takayama Village.

Enquiries go to the Shinshu Takayama Village Tourism Association on 026-242-1122.

Watch the wet path and the falling rock, and carry a bell

The village footpath notice raises three cautions.

The first is slipping on the wet path. The route passes behind the falls, so the footing is always wet.

The second is rock falling from the cliff side. The third is to carry something that makes a sound, such as a bell or a radio.

The village autumn bulletin adds that the footing near the lip of the falls turns very slippery from the spray, and asks visitors to follow the traffic marshals on site so that the road keeps moving.

Come in shoes with grip, and keep both hands free.

Autumn colour peaks around 20 October, at 1,100m

In the autumn feature from the Shinshu Takayama Village Tourism Association, Kaminari Falls sits at 1,100m and usually peaks around 20 October.

In the same gorge, Yamada Onsen at 900m turns around 25 October and Yamada Ranch at 1,500m around 10 October. The colour comes down in order, from the top.

The peak dates by altitude, and the order to drive them, are in autumn colours in the Matsukawa Gorge.

Fifteen minutes by car from Yamada Onsen, with Yataki Falls on the way

From MATSUKAWAKAN to Kaminari Falls is about 15 minutes by car, on the road up the Matsukawa Gorge from Yamada Onsen.

Yataki Falls lies on the way. The Shinshu Takayama Village Tourism Association gives it a drop of about 180m and says the name comes from its eight plunge pools. You view it from a lookout tower; parking is thirteen spaces, 10 minutes by car from Yamada Onsen.

The association puts Kaminari Falls to Yataki Falls at two or three minutes by car in its own model route, and Takayama Village gives about 3km from the two falls down to Yamada Onsen. The distances make taking both in one run the natural thing to do.

The Yataki lookout cannot be reached from late November to early May because of snow. If you want both falls in one trip, autumn is the safe season.

If you want a bath after the spray, day-use bathing at MATSUKAWAKAN runs from 11:00 to 20:00 at 650 yen (tax included) per person. Prices are subject to change; please check before you visit. How to build the day is in a model itinerary for Takayama Village.

Frequently asked questions