Nachikatsuura is an underrated small fishing town and the gateway to seeing the famous Nachi Falls. Read on to find out where to visit, how to get there, where to stay and how long to spend visiting Nachi Falls - the tallest waterfall in Japan.

One of the best things about Japan is that there is simply so much to explore. From metropolis Tokyo to charming, rural Takayama - every prefecture, every city has its own different feel and range of sights to see.

An underrated town that we had the pleasure of visiting was the small fishing town of Nachikatsuura – the gateway to seeing the famous Nachi Falls. This beautiful waterfall is one Japan’s most famous waterfalls. Nachikatsuura is located in the Japanese countryside mountains and has a small population of around 18,000 people and very few tourists, so you can imagine how quiet this place is. The town is renowned for its tuna (‘maguro’) as well as its seaside beauty.

Read our Nachi Falls Guide below to find out all about this fascinating destination!

6 minute read

• How to get to Nachi Falls

• Things to do in Nachikatsuura:

  • Daimonzaka Walking Trail

  • Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine

  • Seigantoji Temple and Sanjūdō Pagoda

  • Nachi Falls (Nachi no Taki)

• How long should I stay in Nachikatsuura?

• Where to stay in Nachikatsuura

Where to stay in Nachikatsuura

High-End: Nakanoshima

Hotel Nakanoshima is a huge onsen resort with four separate buildings, located on an isolated island in the middle of the sea. The hotel is a trip back into time – with its own gaming arcade, several tunnels and a hiking trail.

The hallmarks of this hotel are its outdoor onsens, which provide a breathtaking view of the island’s surroundings.

The rooms are Japanese-style, and Wifi is only available in the lobby. The hotel is accessible by a relatively frequent and short ferry that goes to Nakanoshima Pier from the hotel. It runs at night as well.

It’s not really for the budget-concious traveller, with rooms costing upwards of $420USD a night, but we loved it.

UPDATE: Hotel Nakanoshima recently got a facelift and it looks great! Pictures below.

You can take a closer look at Hotel Nakanoshima by clicking here.

Mid-Range: Hotel Urashima

Urashima is another onsen resort with beautiful hot springs, located on a separate island. It boasts a wonderful view of the Pacific Ocean. The hotel also contains various shrines, an observation deck, and a walking trail.

Amusingly, Urashima also has karaoke rooms, a karaoke dive bar, massage parlors, a shopping mall, a comic book store and the longest escalator in Japan! So you certainly won't be bored.

Urashima uses both Japanese style rooms with tatami mats and also standard Western-styled rooms.

You can take a closer look at Hotel Urashima by clicking here.

Budget Hotel: Hotel Charmant

Hotel Charmant is a small, clean, charming (see what we did there?) hotel in the center of town, so no ferries needed to get here.

The hotel uses Western-styled rooms and has all the basic amenities - perfect for the budget traveller. Single travellers will also be happy to know that the hotel offers single rooms for a lower price.

You can take a closer look at Hotel Charmant by clicking here.

How to get to Nachi Falls

Getting to Nachikatsuura

A lot of people search for “Nachi Station” when they try to figure out a way to visit Nachi Falls.

However, to get to Nachikatsuura, you’ll have to reach the JR Kii-Katsuura train station. If you’re planning to also visit other cities around the country during your trip, we would recommend purchasing a JR pass to get to Nachikatsuura. Because we explored the Kansai region during our visit and also wanted to see Miyajima (another amazing place), we opted to buy the JR Kansai-Hiroshima area pass which also covered the Wakayama Prefecture area.

From Osaka, you can take the Express Kuroshio Train all the way to Kii-Katsuura station. You can also do this from Kyoto Station. Note that this is not a bullet train, and the journey will take around 4.5+ hours.

If you’re coming from Tokyo or any other city, it’s advisable to visit Kyoto or Osaka first and then make your way to Kii-Katsuura.

 Alternatively, you can also rent a car from Osaka or from Kyoto and drive there.

Getting to Nachi Falls

Once you reach Kii-Katsuura station, you’ll find yourself in the center of Nachikatsuura town. To check out the sights around town, you can either purchase a bus ticket or take a taxi to the attractions of your choice.

We would recommend visiting the bus station office (located directly opposite JR Kii-Katsuura station) to ask about your options regarding bus ticket passes. They usually have a round trip ticket to see many of the attractions around town, but at infrequent times – so make sure you’re not late to catch your bus because the Japanese are notorious for being particularly precise with time. We advise waiting at the bus stop early to ensur ethis.

If you’re stuck and unable to find the bus station office, ask for assistance at the Tourism Office on the ground floor of the train station.

Things to do in Nachikatsuura

Daimonzaka Walking Trail

Before you make your way to Nachikatsuura’s treasure, the Nachi Falls, be sure to take the Daimonzaka walk. Daimonzaka is part of the spiritual Kumano Kodo pilgrimage, a route that is traversed by many monks. The walk leads you to Kumano Nachi Taisha, the Seigantoji Temple and ultimately, Nachi Otaki (Nachi Falls). Definitely worth visiting these attractions before you make your way to the famous falls.

Entrance to the Daimonzaka walk is free and is a worthwhile experience.

Kumano Kodo

The Kumano Kodo trail is one of Japan’s most sacred pilgrimage routes that takes about 4 days to complete. Many people visit Nachi Falls as a part of their Kumano Kodo trip, but we didn’t have 4 days to spare. You should look into doing the Kumano Kodo trail if this is something that sounds appealing to you.

On your 30-minute ascent, a cobblestone staircase will take you upwards, with cedar trees that are literally hundreds of years old on each side of the path. It's an easy walk, suitable for hikers of any level of fitness.

To get there, you can take a bus from the Kii-Katsuura bus station and get off at the Daimonzaka stop.

Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine

Kumano Nachi Taisha is a quaint little shrine and another worthwhile stop on your visit to Nachikatsuura. The shrine is one of three Kumano shrines – the others being Hongu Taisha and Hayatama Taisha (which are both quite a distance away, and to be honest, are not as impressive as Kumano Nachi Taisha).

Because the shrine is so quiet, you can observe monks walking about, paying their respects to Buddha at a close range.

You can reach Nachi Taisha Shrine by bus, stopping at the Nachi Taisha stop or you can choose to continue onwards on the Daimonzaka path until you reach the shrine. You can also get there by car, with parking available next to the Seiganto-ji Temple. 

Entrance to these attractions is free.

 Seigantoji Temple and Sanjūdō Pagoda

The Seigantoji Temple is a temple that was allegedly built in the 4th century (yonks ago!), and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was our favourite attraction in the whole complex.

The temple and pagoda are significantly important artifacts in the context of Japanese religion, as it is one of the few Shinto-Buddhist temples still in existence after the forcible separation of Shinto and Buddhism operated by the Japanese government during the Meiji restoration.

From the temple you will be able to see Sanjūdō Pagoda, a striking three-story pagoda erected in front of Nachi Falls. This location is the perfect opportunity to take a few photographs of the pagoda overlooking the waterfall.

When you visit Nachi Waterfall, you can’t miss the Seigantoji Temple (Seiganto Ji Temple) and Sanjudo Pagoda. These are some of the most striking attractions in Japan.

Entrance to these attractions is free.

Nachi Falls (Nachi no Taki)

Nachi Falls (also known as Nachi no Taki or Nachi Otaki) is one of, if not the most famous waterfall in all of Japan. Touted also as the tallest waterfall in Japan, it stands at 133 metres in height and 13m in width, without a single interrupted drop!

Legend says that star-crossed lovers have jumped off the top of this waterfall in order to be together in the afterlife. Definitely not a recommended activity on this list though. The falls are more than beautiful enough to simply be seen - you don’t have to die for these views!

Entrance to Nachi Falls is free. For a 300 yen fee, you can get closer to the Nachi Waterfall via a viewing deck. We opted out of this option, as the falls were close enough without the extra vantage point. Take a stroll around the are and really soak everything in - it’s beautiful.

How long should I stay in Nachikatsuura?

A 1D1N (1 day 1 night) stay should be enough to see all the sights. Of course, if you’re looking to spread out your time a bit more and relax during your experience, you can add another night. We wouldn’t stay here for too long as it is an extremely quiet town and there’s nothing to do at night. It was actually a bit eerily quiet walking around the town center after dark. All of the above can also be visited as part of the Kumano Kodo walk.

So there you have it, you’re all ready to take on Nachikatsuura and Nachi Waterfall! Did you just visit the waterfall, or did you explore? WIll you being doing the Kumano Kodo Trail? What else do you want to see in Japan?

Drop a comment, or send through an email if you have any thoughts about our guide. Let us know how your visit was or if you’re planning to go too!