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Minoo Falls dropping down a rock face framed by red and orange autumn leaves
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Osaka · waterfall

Minoo Falls

箕面大滝

A 33m waterfall at the end of a riverside walk, about 30 minutes by train from Osaka city: fresh green in spring, fireflies in summer, red leaves in autumn.

Minoo Falls in spring surrounded by fresh green maple leaves
Photo: osakaosaka, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Paved riverside walking path with wooden railings leading through the forest to Minoo Falls
Photo: Merec0, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

One of Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls

Minoo Falls (Minoo Otaki) drops 33m at the far end of Minoo Park in Minoh City, Osaka Prefecture. It is one of the "Top 100 Waterfalls of Japan".

The name is said to come from the way the falling water resembles a mi, a winnowing basket once used on farms to shake husks and dust out of grain. The place name Minoo itself comes from the waterfall.

Walking the Takimichi to the falls

You reach the falls on foot along the Takimichi (literally "waterfall road"), which follows the Minoo River gorge from Hankyu Minoo Station. It is about 2.7km, or roughly a 40-minute walk.

Minoo Park is an Osaka Prefecture park inside Meiji no Mori Minoo Quasi-National Park, covering 83.8 hectares. Although it is close to the city, it is rich in nature and was once even called one of Japan's three great habitats for insects; there is an insect museum in the park. You can enjoy seasonal scenery: cherry blossoms in spring, fireflies in summer and autumn leaves in autumn.

The local speciality: maple-leaf tempura

The Takimichi's famous treat is momiji no tempura, maple-leaf tempura. Maple leaves are pickled in salt and left for more than a year to draw out their bitterness, then coated in batter and deep-fried to make a sweet snack.

According to people in Minoh's tourism trade, legend has it that the treat began about 1,300 years ago with En no Gyoja, founder of Shugendo (a uniquely Japanese faith built on harsh training in the mountains), who trained on Mount Minoo. Admiring the beauty of the maple leaves reflected in the falls, he is said to have served them to travellers.

Getting there

Hankyu Minoo Station is the starting point of the Takimichi, about 30 minutes by train from central Osaka.

Cars, motorbikes and bicycles are not allowed in the park, so enjoy the Takimichi on foot.

Tips

  • Japanese macaques, a national Natural Monument, live in the Minoo hills. A Minoh City bylaw bans feeding the monkeys anywhere in the city, and breaking it can bring a non-criminal fine of up to 10,000 yen. Keep your distance from the monkeys and keep food out of sight.
  • Smoking is banned throughout the park. Tents, barbecues and flying drones are also prohibited.
  • The Takimichi and park entrances are sometimes closed temporarily (on 27 September 2026 there was a temporary closure for the disposal of an unexploded bomb, since lifted). Check the official Minoo Park website before you go.

Sources

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

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