Takihata 48 Falls - We'll Try Again Later

What?
The Takihata 48 Waterfalls (滝畑48滝) are a string of cascades that come down from the Izumi Mountains om the border of Osaka (大阪府) and Wakayama (和歌山県) Prefectures. 48 is only a number to indicate that there are many of them. Kotaki (光滝), Arataki (荒滝) and Gokotaki (御光滝) are most easily accessible for anyone, while Otaki (大滝) and Gongentaki (権現滝) take slightly more efforts. If you didn’t realize yet, taki means waterfalls, and apart from the above mentioned, there are a few other falls in the neighborhood. I’m good weather the area transforms and a barbecue and camping heaven, allowing refreshing play in the rivers.
Where?
The falls are situated in Osaka Prefecture near the border with Wakayama. They can be accessed from Osaka by taking a Nankai train on the Koya-line (南海高野線) departing from either Namba (南海難波) or Shinimamiya (新今宮). Get off the train at Kawachinagano Station (河内長野駅) and transfer to a bus bound for Takihata Dam (滝畑ダム; departure from bus stop no.7). Stay on the bus until the terminal and then walk a little further where you will see a small roadside station with toilet. The ascending path behind this toilet leads you to Mount Iwawaki and Otaki, but for the other Takihata falls you just need to follow the paved road.
URL
Osaka Info

I had been thinking. A few weeks ago, it hadn’t rained for a few weeks before I went to the Akame 48 Waterfalls. Apart from the disappointing entrance fee to nature, maybe I was not 100% convinced because the river and falls were a bit too calm.
That wouldn’t be the case today. It has been raining and storming for days on end with some resulting tragedies, especially in hard hit Kyushu. Now that there was a day without rain, I thought to have found the right timing for a waterfall walk.

Upon starting the walk I was baffled though. There are no forest trails or small paths to cross: all is paved and broad enough for cars. As I saw that they made a lot of camping and barbecue grounds along the river, I could partly understand why. But for a day hiker like me it’s not the most thrilling ride.
Also, the first waterfall on the left, Kotaki, seemed to be off limits as the entrance was blocked by a rope. I decided to assume there was a reason for this and walked on by.

Arriving at the next waterfall, Arataki, I noticed they laid the small crossing platform aside. So I wouldn’t be able to get to the other side of the river and admire the fall that was producing such a huge roar. And I understood. It had been raining really hard and the river had obviously become too large for its bedding.

Well, that left me only 1 waterfall before turning back, the Gokotaki. I was really starting to regret coming here, but the waterfall was accessible and darn: it was impressive. Tons of water, thundering down from two sides, made me both blind and deaf for anything else. I saw some planks that were washed away so I assume that normally you can admire the waterfall from a broader viewing ground. But no regrets here; this was a truly impressive fall.

Rapidly running river.

Not pretty, but the truth: this is what the path looks like.

The roaring Goko Waterfall.

Still the Gokotaki, but more to the right where I think the fall usually doesn't run.

Turning back I started to wonder. The river was way more fierce at the Goko waterfall than at the Arataki. I had packed a small towel and I had my feet. Why was I hesitating? So when I arrived again at the sidelined crossing platform I took off my shoes, waded the river to the other side and kept on waggling a few dozen meters so I could admire the crashing water from the Ara Waterfall. There are really no other words for it. Water came crashing down from all sides, making the fall clearly way broader, wilder and as such more dangerous than it usually would be.

I was glad I took off my shoes but wasn’t really satisfied yet. Almost all the way back to the bus stop I crossed a very shabby looking bridge that hopefully would allow me to follow another river to the Otaki fall. There were no routes on my map, but here I was walking one! ... that is until it became clear that the path I intended to take was densely overgrown and impossible to follow. Instead I followed an arrow to the Gongen Waterfall. Again some serious vegetation was trying to send me back. This time I persevered for a little while - almost losing my hat on the way - and was rewarded with a great view of the multilayered Gongentaki. It used to be possible to get closer, but a bridge with only two remaining sports seemed a little bit too unreliable for me.

After the sealed off Kotaki, the ponton on the riverbank, the overgrown path to Otaki and the almost painful departure of my hat, I finally got nature’s hint and returned prematurely to the bus station.

The waterfalls of Takihata were pretty great, but the walk towards and between them more than bland. It made me want to mix the pathway of Akame which had way more charm with Takihata‘s falls which were more impressive. Maybe I‘ll try to find Kotaki, Otaki and some of the more remote falls another time when both nature and my sore legs (too much squats) are a bit more forgiving.

For fit people: it’s perfectly possible to combine the main falls with a hike up to Mount Iwawaki as they have the same starting point. Walking at a decent pace, the Takihata falls will only take an hour and a half of your time.