Hirayu Waterfall — Attraction in Takayama

Hirayu Waterfall (Hirayu Ōtaki) is one of the most impressive waterfalls. With a height of 64 meters and a width of 6 meters, it ranks among the highest waterfalls in the country and is listed as one of Japan’s “Top 100 Waterfalls” by the Ministry of the Environment. According to a 450-year-old tale, a white monkey was seen emerging from behind the falls. Soldiers followed it and discovered the healing hot springs of Hirayu Onsen, which helped restore their strength after battle.

The waterfall is easily accessible from the Hirayu Onsen bus stop. It takes 10-minute walk from the parking (in front of the restaurant).

In mid-April 2025, the waterfall did not appear particularly impressive. Due to lingering snow, it was not possible to...

Visited on 18/3 and the area was still snowing heavily. Parked near the ski resort and had to hike around 900m in treacherous snow. The view was nice, rewarding after the short hike. Do follow the footsteps left by previous visitors if you visit the area in heavy snow conditions as you might not know how deep the...

A bit of a hidden gem. We were lucky enough to see a black bear and a serow near the waterfall.

The waterfall is pretty big and beautiful. Shame you can't go very close to it but still worth seeing

We also saw barely anyone there, even though it's a short walk from...