An English guide to Japan's most celebrated waterfalls — the 100 Selected Waterfalls of Japan chosen in 1990. Every waterfall has its own page: drop, location, a photograph, and the full text of its encyclopedia article.
100 selected waterfalls · 8 regions · tallest drop: Shōmyō Falls, 350 m
| # | Waterfall | Drop | Prefecture |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shōmyō Falls 称名滝 | 350 m | Toyama |
| 2 | Hagoromo Falls 羽衣の滝 | 270 m | Hokkaido |
| 3 | Naka Falls 中の滝 | 250 m | Nara |
| 4 | Sankai Falls 三階の滝 | 181 m | Miyagi |
| 5 | Fudō-nanae Falls 不動七重の滝 | 160 m | Nara |
| 6 | Nachi Falls 那智滝 | 133 m | Wakayama |
| 7 | Josei Falls 常清滝 | 126 m | Hiroshima |
| 8 | Shiraito Falls (Yamagata) 白糸の滝 | 120 m | Yamagata |
| 9 | Fukuroda Falls 袋田の滝 | 120 m | Ibaraki |
| 10 | Nanatsugama Falls 七ツ釜滝 | 120 m | Mie |
In 1990 Japan chose its 100 finest waterfalls — not by committee alone, but from more than 340,000 public nominations covering 527 falls. The story of the Nihon no Taki Hyakusen, and why the list runs from a 350-metre giant to falls barely 6 metres high.
A Japanese waterfall is never the same twice. The rainy season makes giants roar, autumn frames Kegon in maple red, and hard winters can freeze Fukuroda solid. A plain-English orientation to when Japan's selected waterfalls show their best faces.
