The Harajiri Waterfalls, often called the “Niagara Falls of the Orient,” are unique because they appear suddenly amid flat rice fields. The falls are 120 meters wide with a 20-meter drop. You can view them from a bridge in front or approach them closely to enjoy the impressive scenery.
The bedrock is believed to have formed when a large pyroclastic flow from Mount Aso’s eruption 60,000 years ago cooled and solidified. This created columnar joints—vertical fractures from contraction—resulting in a structural resemblance to Niagara Falls.