Hottai Falls holds a distinctive first in Akita's conservation history: on December 17, 1960, the waterfall and its river-worn potholes became the prefecture's inaugural designation as both a Place of Scenic Beauty and a Natural Monument. The falls drop 57.4 meters on the Akasawa River, a tributary of the Koyoshi River system, in the foothills of Mount Chokai in the city of Yurihonjo. Three decades after the prefectural honor, the Ministry of the Environment added Hottai to Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls in 1990 — layering national recognition onto a site Akita had already claimed as its founding piece of protected scenery.
Visiting Hottai Falls
The falls lie on the Akasawa River in the foothills of Mount Chokai, in Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture. The sources record no specific trail or platform details.
