Chagama Falls is the Top 100 list at its most demanding. The falls plunge 100 meters on the Yoakeshima branch of the Yoneshiro River in the Hachimantai district of Kazuno, Akita Prefecture — a height that makes Chagama one of the tallest waterfalls on the official list. It is also one of the most remote: reaching it requires a 5.5-kilometer hike across very rough terrain, with no shortcut on offer. That pairing of stature and inaccessibility gives Chagama a particular reputation among waterfall devotees working through the Ministry of the Environment's 1990 listing — a fall that must be earned on foot, deep in the Akita backcountry.
Visiting Chagama Falls
Access requires a 5.5-kilometer hike over very rough terrain in the Hachimantai district of Kazuno, Akita Prefecture — Chagama is counted among the most remotely located falls on the entire Top 100 list. Come prepared for a serious backcountry approach.
