Harajiri Falls

Beautiful, viewed from above, below and afar

Diagoras Kalaitzoglou Oct 09, 2018 - 2 min read

The falls viewed from the suspension bridge

The suspension bridge which will give you a wonderful view of the falls from afar

More people on the bridge means more jolts which add to the experience

There are no restrictions as to where you can go so you can easily sit on the edge of the falls (but be careful!)

Having crossed the bridge there is a path which will take you back to the falls

Beautiful flowers a bit further on the path

View of the falls and the suspension bridge from the eastern path. In between there are the stairs which lead you down to the water.

Just above the falls, need to be careful!

There is a torii gate above the falls and a bit upstream which adds to the atmosphere

Just before the stairs to go down to the waterfalls basin there is this beautiful watermill

Instead of going back up the stairs you can follow this path under the suspension bridge

This path will take you back to the car parking of the restaurant

Loved this path as I was the only person there

Harajiri Falls (Oita prefecture) have been reviewed with nice information here (Harajiri Falls 2013) and since it is quite some time ago and I visited recently decided to update.

Coming by car you will probably park at the restaurants parking lot which is quite large and from there a nice path will take you to the falls. It is worth checking the farmers market for all the different kinds of local products. Decided to start by crossing the suspension bridge to get a view of the falls from afar. The beautiful horseshoe-shaped 20 meters high falls were a pleasure for the eye. The suspension bridge jolts quite a lot, especially if there are a few people on it, adding on the experience.

Crossing the bridge you can follow the circular path which will take you above the falls, with a few nice views on the way. On top of the falls there are no restrictions as to where you can go so you can actually go very much to the edge, being very careful of course. Afterwards you will pass by a watermill and then some stairs will take you down to the falls basin, no swimming allowed.

Viewing the falls from the bridge, the eastern part of the circular path and from the top is certainly beautiful but it is only until you get down to their basin for you to get the majestic feeling. Surrounded by the falls, with the sound of the tumbling water and the mist on my skin, I was mesmerized.

Instead of taking the stairs up you can follow a path under the suspension bridge which leads back to the restaurants parking lot. I really enjoyed that short walk back, not only because it was beautiful but also because I was the only person there.

The closest train station is Ogata station in the JR Hohi line. Coming from Oita is alright but not from Kumamoto as part of the line was damaged due to the earthquake in 2016. From Ogata station the falls are a bit less than 3km which you can walk or take a taxi.

Diagoras Kalaitzoglou @diagoras.kalaitzoglou

Having graduated from the university with a degree in Business Administration, decided it was time to explore the world. After a few years on the road and 51 countries, decided to settle in Japan for a bit while. Passionate about sharing the stories of places and people I come across.