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Article: Nachi Falls

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It is believed to have been the home of a Kami named Hiryū Gongen, worshiped in Kumano Nachi Taisha, today part of the Kii Mountains’ sacred sites and pilgrimage routes. View of the Seiganto-ji Buddhist temple, with the Nachi waterfall in the background.

Nachi Falls

The Nachi waterfall, one of the natural wonders of Japan, is a great permanent waterfall in Japan. The 133m high waterfall is one of the highest waterfalls in the country. Being an object of ancient veneration, the waterfall forms a long white veil over the dark green of the vegetation and attracts ascetics who purify themselves in its icy waters.

The excitement continues as you keep walking until you reach the heart of the mountain passing through Kumano Kodo and Kumano Nachi Taisha. When you reach enough altitude, the trees open up and you find the waterfall. The echo of the water is reflected on the rocks and on the trees, spreading through the air. The sanctuary walls and its three-level pagoda, with the waterfall in the background, make up an unforgettable sight. The landscape is incredible at any time of the year and it will be the perfect setting for your best memories.

The excitement continues as you keep walking until you reach the heart of the mountain passing through Kumano Kodo and Kumano Nachi Taisha. When you reach enough altitude, the trees open up and you find the waterfall. The echo of the water is reflected on the rocks and on the trees, spreading through the air. The sanctuary walls and its three-level pagoda, with the waterfall in the background, make up an unforgettable sight. The landscape is incredible at any time of the year and it will be the perfect setting for your best memories.

It is believed to have been the home of a Kami named Hiryū Gongen, worshiped in Kumano Nachi Taisha, today part of the Kii Mountains’ sacred sites and pilgrimage routes. View of the Seiganto-ji Buddhist temple, with the Nachi waterfall in the background. At the top of the waterfall, there are two rocks believed to have been the home of the mentioned Kami, guardian of the falls and Shinto shrine, revered in Kumano Nachi Taisha. Still, it is considered the manifestation of the Kannon of the waterfall, which represents that compassion flows without end. There was also a Buddhist temple which was destroyed during the Meiji restoration in the late 19th century. Every morning a Shinto priest does offerings to the waterfall in a ritual.

Excavations were carried out in a mound at the base of the waterfall in 1918 and it was found to contain many important archaeological artifacts, including statues, mirrors, altar fixtures, and sutra cylinders, displayed in the Ryuhoden (Treasury Room), which is located next to the 3-story Sanjudo Pagoda. These mounds were created by wartime priests to hide their treasures, and many objects were also buried there in the belief that, in the early tenth century, the end of the world was coming.

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