What other travelers are saying about Harajiri Falls, Bungo-ono
It's free, it's big, it's a sight. Unfortunately at the time I visited (July 7th, a week after the rainy season ended in 2025) it is less active and the flow was not so fierce. The location is actually also rather out of the way, so unless this is on the way to your next destination, I wouldn't recommend going out of your way for it. If it is on the way, then this is an easy recommendation. It's next to a very clean and neat roadside station with toilet facilities so it's really good.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is 120 meters wide and 20 meters high, horseshoe-shaped, and sits in flat farmland. It is listed among Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls and nicknamed the "Niagara Falls of Japan."
Cross the 90-meter Takimi-bashi suspension bridge, walk the circular path to the basin, visit the nearby 5-arch Harajiri Bridge (1923), and eat at the roadside station serving Dango Jiru and Kabosu soft-serve ice cream.
Yes. Notable events include the Oita Ogata Tulip Festival in April, the Kodai Himatsuri Festival in May, and the Kawagoshi Matsuri in November.
The falls are open year-round. Spring brings cherry blossoms and rapeseed flowers, summer offers lush greenery, and autumn produces vivid foliage. Water flow is strongest after heavy rain; post-rainy season visits may see a reduced flow.
Yes. Rental bicycles are available at the roadside station, allowing visitors to explore the surrounding countryside, shrines, and stone Buddha statues at a relaxed pace.
The scenic view is amazing, and the waterfall is beautiful! They have a cool bridge and you can walk across the waterfall. There's also access to see it from the lower river.
A very beautiful waterfall formed from the eruption of Mt Aso iabout 100,000 years ago . It has a drop of around 20 m and width about 120 m . It also carried a nickname “ miniature Niagara Falls of Japan ‘“ due to its horseshoe shape . There’s a suspension bridge near by where you can watch the full view of the waterfall. There’s restaurant supplying good food near by and from the restaurant, there’s a path leading to the basin of the waterfall. Very easy assessable by car . A very magnificent place to spend a few hours .
By far one my favorite places in Kyushu, I visited 3 times in total. The drive to this location is really fun. Road trips with university friends.
It’s a free area to explore with a nearby restaurants and souvenir shops.
Parking is free as well. It’s obviously countryside so the people are genuinely nice.
