Fudonanae Waterfall (fudonanae-no-taki [不動七重の滝])

Yoshino Kumano National Park / Shimokitayama-mura, Nara, Japan

About Fudonanae Waterfall (fudonanae-no-taki [不動七重の滝])

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Fudonanae Waterfall (Fudonanae-no-otaki [不動七重の滝]; or Fudo 7 Falls) is an off-the-beaten-path waterfall deviating from the National Route 169 between Yoshino and Shingu within Yoshino-Kumano National Park.

From reading the kanji, I presume that this waterfall has something to do with being “motionless” or “immovable” as apparently it may appear that way when gazing upon its mesmerizing flow from the signed lookout (see directions below).

Fudonanae_003_04092023 - The Fudonanae Waterfall
The Fudonanae Waterfall

The kanji also suggests that there are 7 waterfalls making up the Fudonanae Falls, and I guess you might be able to identify them if you look at the picture above very closely (hint: the smaller tiers count).

As for its size, I’ve seen one climbing site (who must have actually abseiled these waterfalls at one point) estimate the overall drop to be about 80m, which seems reasonable.

By the way, since this waterfall is on the Zenki River (前鬼川 or Zenkigawa), it may also be referred to as the Zenki Fudonanae Waterfall (or Zenki Fudonanae-no-otaki; 前鬼・不動七重の滝).

This is to distinguish it from many other waterfalls in Japan with the name “Fudo” or “motionless” (e.g. Harafudo Waterfall in the Hyogo Prefecture).

Fudonanae_025_04092023 - Looking back at the context of the pullout along the narrow mountain road we took to get to the viewing area for the Fudonanae Falls
Looking back at the context of the pullout along the narrow mountain road we took to get to the viewing area for the Fudonanae Falls

Anyways, for all intents and purposes, this is a roadside waterfall though the road involved is a narrow, single-lane road full of fallen rocks and dropoff exposure.

That said, we used it as a short detour on the much longer drive from Mt Yoshino (a famous sakura or cherry blossom spot) all the way to Nachikatsuura on the opposite end of the Kumano Mountains.

So a visit here is really nothing more than driving up to an overlook and then continuing on.

Nevertheless, we did spot a scattering of cherry blossoms at the tops of the neighboring mountains (so we didn’t completely miss the sakura on our Spring Break visit in early April 2023 though the famous spots were well past the peak).

Fudonanae_008_iPhone_04102023 - A closer look at the Zenki Fudonanae Waterfall from the observation area as seen through Julie's iPhone
A closer look at the Zenki Fudonanae Waterfall from the observation area as seen through Julie’s iPhone

Anyways, I had entertained thoughts of doing a hike to get closer to the Fudonanae Waterfall (since Gaia GPS suggested there was a trail), but I understand that trail is closed.

As a result, overall we spent about 30 minutes or so at this overlook, but most of the work involved driving to get to this overlook, which itself took us about 15 minutes for the 7km detour (each way).

Authorities

The Fudonanae Waterfall resides within the Yoshino-Kumano National Park near the Shimokitayama Village of the Nara Prefecture. It is administered by the Ministry of the Environment. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the Ministry of the Environment website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: yoshino, kumano, nara, single lane road, route 169, japan top 100, zenki river, zenkigawa, zenki fudonanae



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About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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