Otsuji Waterfall (otsujigataki [乙字ケ滝])

Sukagawa / Koriyama, Fukushima, Japan

About Otsuji Waterfall (otsujigataki [乙字ケ滝])

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The Otsuji Waterfall (otsujigataki [乙字ケ滝]; “Otsujiga Falls”) was a wide, urban waterfall spanning the Abukuma River in the southern outskirts of Sukagawa (which itself is kind of a southern suburb to Koriyama).

The waterfall is reported to have a height of 6m with a width of 100m, which is wide enough to have a little bit of a horseshoe shape across its brink.

Otsujigataki_077_07212023 - The Otsuji Waterfall in the Fukushima Prefecture
The Otsuji Waterfall in the Fukushima Prefecture

Speaking of the horseshoe, it’s said that if you look at the Abukuma River from above or the waterfall’s side, you’ll apparently see the character otsu (乙) and hence the name of the falls.

Given these characteristics, they have compelled people to refer to the Otsuji Falls as a miniature Niagara Falls.

As a result, it has also been named among Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls according to the Ministry of the Environment’s 1990 list.

Come to think about it, most of the waterfalls throughout Japan tend to be of the tall and slender variety so I tend to think it’s this wide block-type appearance that makes it stand out.

Otsujigataki_026_07212023 - Looking across the Otsujigataki Waterfall where the horseshoe shape is clearly evident, and it even reminded someone of the otsu character in Japanese
Looking across the Otsujigataki Waterfall where the horseshoe shape is clearly evident, and it even reminded someone of the otsu character in Japanese

By the way, I should mention that this waterfall may also be referred to as Otsujiga Falls, Otsujigataki Falls, Otsujiga Waterfall, Otsujigataki Waterfall, or Otsuji Falls.

All these nomenclature variations have to do with the inexact mapping of Japanese words to Romaji, especially whether or not to include particles in the place names (ケ or ga in this instance).

Nevertheless, when we visited this waterfall on a pretty hot Summer afternoon in late July 2023, we appreciated that it didn’t take much effort to experience.

There was a short developed walking area next to the Takimi Fudoson Mido Shrine and some other “holy” relics (i.e. pillars, tablets, and statues) sandwiched between the Abukuma River itself and the Michinoku Bicycle Route.

Otsujigataki_019_07212023 - A stone statue flanked by some stone tablets with inscriptions on them at Otsujigataki Falls
A stone statue flanked by some stone tablets with inscriptions on them at Otsujigataki Falls

Some of these relics also seem to refer to the haiku poet Matsuo Basho who visited here and did a poem about the Otsuji Falls, which is written in one of the stone tablets here.

Anyways, this walking area allowed us to view the waterfall from its brink, from its profile (for a closer look across its drop), and from further downstream where we got a frontal view.

Although our afternoon visit caused us to have to look against the sun towards the east-facing Otsujigataki Waterfall, the budding thunderstorm clouds blocked the sun every so often.

Thus, I’d say morning is probably the best time to visit for the most optimal lighting (not to mention perhaps cooler temperatures).

Otsujigataki_012_iPhone_07222023 - Normally, visiting east-facing waterfalls in the afternoon means bad lighting, but every once in a while during our Otsuji Falls visit, thunderclouds actually helped us out by blocking the afternoon sun
Normally, visiting east-facing waterfalls in the afternoon means bad lighting, but every once in a while during our Otsuji Falls visit, thunderclouds actually helped us out by blocking the afternoon sun

Nevertheless, we found this place to be quite relaxing and low-key, especially when you consider how much concrete jungle we had to go drive through to get here from Koriyama via Sukagawa (see directions below).

Overall, we spent about 45 minutes away from the car, but this was really a place where you can be very quick about a visit or linger for as long as you’d like.

Authorities

The Otsuji Waterfall resides in Sukagawa City near Koriyama in the Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. It may be administered by the Sukagawa City Government. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the Tamagawa Village Tourism website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.

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Tagged with: otsuji falls, otsujigataki, abukuma river, abukumagawa, tamakawa, sukagawa, tohoku, japan, koriyama, niagara falls



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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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