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Awamata Falls sliding over a broad sloping rock face surrounded by autumn trees, Chiba
Photo: くろふね, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Chiba · waterfall

Awamata Falls

粟又の滝

A waterfall in Chiba's Yoro Valley that slides about 100m down a gentle rock face. Ringed by autumn leaves in late autumn, it is one of Boso's best.

Wide cascade of Awamata Falls spreading into a calm pool below a wooded bank
Photo: くろふね, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Red and orange maple leaves framing a distant view of Awamata Falls in Yoro Valley
Photo: くろふね, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Boso's great waterfall that flows like a slide

Awamata Falls is on the upper reaches of the Yoro Valley in Otaki, Chiba Prefecture. It drops about 30m over a length of about 100m, the water spreading out white as it runs down a gently sloping rock face like a playground slide.

Otaki Town calls it "the finest waterfall in Boso". Unlike falls that plunge off a high cliff in one go, its charm is the way the water steps down across a broad slope of rock.

Autumn leaves

The best times to come are the season of fresh green leaves and the autumn colour season. Maples, lacquer trees and oaks grow around the falls, and the leaves are usually at their best from late November to early December. This is a late autumn-leaf spot, so you can still make it well into the season.

Trail closures (as of September 2026)

Downstream of the falls runs the Taki-meguri trail, which takes in a series of waterfalls, but part of it has been closed since damage from Typhoon No. 13 in 2023. According to Otaki Town's notice of 29 September 2026, walkers must turn back 100m from the Awamata Falls end, and the trail cannot be entered from the downstream Kozawamata end. You can still walk around the falls themselves.

After rain the river can rise and the whole trail may be closed. Check Otaki Town or the Otaki Town Tourism Association for the latest trail status.

Getting there

By car, it is about 20km, around 30 minutes, from the Ichihara-Tsurumai interchange on the Ken-O Expressway. From the town-run Awamata car park (paid) it is about 10 minutes on foot.

By train, take a local bus from Yoro-Keikoku Station on the Kominato Railway, or a taxi from Kazusa-Nakano Station, about 10 minutes.

Tips

  • The autumn leaves peak late, from late November to early December. You may still catch the colours after December has begun.
  • Trail restrictions change with conditions. Especially the day after rain, check Otaki Town's notices on trail closures before you set off.
  • Take all your rubbish home. Barbecues are also banned throughout the Yoro Valley area except at authorised facilities.

Sources

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

Keep exploring

Nearby places

Chiba · waterfall Nomizo Falls and Kameiwa Cave 濃溝の滝・亀岩の洞窟 A hand-dug Edo-era cave on the Boso Peninsula that a stream flows through. Around the equinoxes, early light and reflections form a heart shape.
Chiba · zoo aquarium Kamogawa Sea World 鴨川シーワールド A Boso Peninsula aquarium on the Pacific, famous for orca shows. In 1976 it was Japan's first to keep belugas, and 2026 marks 50 years.
Chiba · farm Mother Farm マザー牧場 A 250-hectare farm park on a Boso Peninsula hilltop overlooking Tokyo Bay and Mount Fuji: stampeding sheep, seasonal flower fields and animals to meet.
Chiba · theme park Tokyo German Village 東京ドイツ村 A flower-and-greenery theme park in Sodegaura, Chiba, modelled on the German countryside, with seasonal flower fields and huge winter illuminations.
Chiba · viewpoint Meiji Centennial Observation Tower, Futtsu Park 富津公園 明治百年記念展望塔 A pine-shaped tower at the tip of Cape Futtsu in Tokyo Bay, looking across to Kanagawa, central Tokyo and, on clear days, Mount Fuji. A top sunset spot.
Chiba · viewpoint Chiba Port Tower 千葉ポートタワー The 125m mirror-glass symbol of Chiba Port. From its 113m deck you see Tokyo Bay, the city of Chiba and, on clear days, Mount Fuji.