Naena Falls sits astride a border: the 55-meter waterfall marks the line between Niigata and Nagano prefectures on the upper Sekigawa River, with the parking area and access route on the Myōkō, Niigata side. It is actually a chain of four falls in sequence, though the second, third, and fourth are difficult to reach — most visitors know only the first. The fall has collected written names over the centuries: besides 苗名滝 it appears as 苗江滝, 南井滝, and 地震滝 — this last reading "earthquake falls," a hint at the force the cascade projects. It holds a place on Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls, the national list of 1990.
Visiting Naena Falls
Access is from the Myōkō side in Niigata Prefecture, where the parking area and approach route are located. Only the first of the four falls is readily reachable; the second through fourth falls upstream are difficult to access.
