Hidden Nachi Falls

What?
Nachi-no-Taki 那智の滝 is the tallest waterfall in Japan topping 133 meters. Around the waterfall both a shintoist shrine (Kumano Nachi Taisha 熊野那智大社) as a buddhist temple (Seigantoji 青岸渡寺) were built, symbolizing the symbiosis of the two religions in Japan. Behind the sanctuary is a dense and sacred forest that boasts two other smaller waterfalls; Ni-no-Taki 二の滝 and San-no-Taki三の滝, respectively 30 and 20 meters tall. Kumano Nachi Taisha is part of the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage, a route recognized as world heritage.
Where?
After finding your way to Wakayama Prefecture, the easiest way to get to the falls and surroundings is to take the bus at either Kii-Katsuura 紀伊勝浦 station or Nachi 那智 station and get off at Daimonzaka 大門坂, the path that serves as entrence to the site. Of course you can also choose to walk any of the pilgrim routes leading up to the shrine.
URL
Tanabe Tourism

Always wanting to see the highest waterfall of Japan (Nachi-no-Taki), I boarded the train in Osaka in the early morning to arrive at noon in the very small town of Katsuura. Wanting to go all the way I started my walk at Daimonzaka, a path flanked by huge cedar trees. Some were so impressive that the climb towards the Nachi shrine took me twice as long as I stopped regularly to take photographs. At the shrine, there was the expected crowd to greet the New Year. I skipped most of the shrine to look for the best spot to take a picture of the Seigantoji pagoda with the huge Nachi-no-Taki in the background.

Looking up at the huge trees.

Daimonzaka.

While the sight of Nachi-no-Taki was impressive, it was difficult to dream away with the crowd visiting the shrine. So I decided to go and look for 2 hidden waterfalls further up the mountain. Not knowing the exact way, I just took the steepest path somewhere hidden between 2 shrines. No one in sight, I was followed immediately by an elderly couple who engaged me in a conversation. They were locals and pointed me to the correct way: I should take a right just before reaching an abandoned park at the top of the mountain. ......I reached the top of the mountain without problems, but I somehow skipped the turn to the right. Taking my time to take pictures of the beautifully overgrown playground, I was caught up by the elderly couple who send me back in the opposite direction. I found the arrows pointing me to the waterfalls, but they pointed to a path that wasn't very clear to begin with. With time, the path only became more invisible, and I knew I was lost after not seeing any arrows anymore for half an hour. When I finally heard water streaming, I realized I had entered sacred ground of the shrine and walked back in a circle to arrive at the back of the Nachi shrine. Looking at waterfall pictures on the internet, I truly regret not having persevered, but the 3 hour mountain walk was a true revelation and well worth the time.