Kirifuri Falls is located in Tokono, Nikko City, on the Kirifuri River, a tributary of the Itana River in the Tone River system. This waterfall is considered one of the “Three Great Waterfalls of Nikko” along with Kegon Falls and Uramitaki Falls, and has also been selected as one of the 100 best waterfalls in Japan.
The Kirifuri Waterfall is divided into an upper and lower section, with the upper section being 25 m high and the lower section 26 m high, making the total length of the waterfall 75 m. The width at the top of the waterfall is about 3 m, and the height of the lower section is about 1.5 m. The width at the top of the waterfall is about 3 m, but it widens to about 15 m at the bottom.
A viewing platform is located on the south side of the falls, and from here there is a path leading down to the basin of the falls. It takes about 40 minutes to go there and back.
The waterfall is also known for the rare insect Galois beetle, which was discovered by French diplomat Galois in 1915, and lives near the falls.
The name “Kirifuri-no-Taki” comes from the fact that the spray from the waterfall hitting the rock wall looks like falling mist, and this feature is said to have given rise to the name “Kirifuri-no-Taki.
From JR Nikko Station or Tobu Nikko Station, take the bus bound for Kirifuri no Taki Falls (about 15 minutes), get off at Kirifuri no Taki Falls bus stop, and walk 10 minutes.