Nunobiki Falls

Kōbe

LoginSave

You'd never guess that such a beautiful natural sanctuary could sit so close to the city. This revered waterfall in four sections (the longest is 43m tall) has been the subject of art, poetry and worship for centuries – some of the poems are reproduced on stone tablets at the site. It's accessible by a steep 400m path from Shin-Kōbe Station. Take the ground-floor exit, turn left and walk under the station building to the path.

You can also reach the falls from the midway station of the Nunobiki Ropeway in about 20 minutes; follow the road (it's signposted) and keep a lookout for the staircase on your right (not well signposted) that leads to the waterfall path.

Transportation

  • train: JR Shin-Kōbe
  • subway: Shin-Kōbe

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Osaka, Japan - April 30, 2017: tourists looking Osaka city at Abeno Harukas, the tallest skyscraper in Japan. The building stands on top of Kintetsu Osaka Abenobashi Station near JR Tennoji Station. 919551970 Abeno Harukas Observatory

    Abeno Harukas

    18.79 MILES

    This César Pelli–designed tower, which opened in March 2014, is Japan's tallest building (300m, 60 storeys). The observatory on the 16th floor is free,…

  • Himeji castle through Sakura

    Himeji-jō

    29.8 MILES

    Himeji-jō is Japan's most magnificent castle, built in 1580 by general Toyotomi Hideyoshi and one of only a few original castles from that era (most are…

  • Osaka Castle in Morning 1331407004

    Osaka-jō

    18.99 MILES

    After unifying Japan in the late 16th century, General Toyotomi Hideyoshi built this castle (1583) as a display of power, using, it's said, the labour of…

  • Tourists walking around crowded Osaka Dotonbori entertainment district 595729520 Vibrant Color, Observation Point, Kinki Region, Tourism, Photography, Busy, Dotonbori, City Life, Pedestrian, Arranging, Downtown District, Osaka Prefecture, Walking, Billboard, Commercial Sign, Scenics, Illuminated, Vitality, Awe, Multi Colored, Japanese Culture, Crowded, Local Landmark, International Landmark, Famous Place, Architecture, Travel Destinations, Retail, Lifestyles, Urban Scene, Tourist, People, Japan, Asia, Restaurant, Store, City Street, Street, Alley, Road, Built Structure, Urban Skyline, Cityscape, City, Neon Light, Sign, Advertisement, Neon Color, Namba - Osaka

    Dōtombori

    17.94 MILES

    Highly photogenic Dōtombori is the city's liveliest night spot and the centre of the southern part of town. Its name comes from the 400-year-old canal,…

  • Amerika-Mura

    Amerika-Mura

    17.56 MILES

    West of Midō-suji, Amerika-Mura is a compact enclave of hip, youth-focused and offbeat shops, plus cafes, bars, tattoo and piercing parlours, nightclubs,…

  • National Museum of Ethnology

    National Museum of Ethnology

    20.43 MILES

    This ambitious museum showcases the world's cultures, presenting them as the continuous (and tangled) strings that they are. There are plenty of…

  • Excited school children gazing at sting rays at Osaka Aquarium.

    Osaka Aquarium Kaiyūkan

    13.94 MILES

    Kaiyūkan is among Japan's best aquariums. An 800m-plus walkway winds past displays of sea life from around the Pacific 'ring of fire': Antarctic penguins,…

View more attractions

Nearby Kōbe attractions

1. Nunobiki Herb Gardens & Ropeway

0.38 MILES

Escape the city on a 400m-high mountain ridge, offering sweeping views across town to the bay. During the day (to 5pm) you can descend on foot through the…

2. Kitano Tenman-jinja

0.55 MILES

Up a steep hill past the homes of Kitano-chō, this shrine has good views over the city.

3. Kitano-chō

0.59 MILES

For generations of Japanese tourists, this pleasant, hilly neighbourhood is Kōbe, thanks to the dozen or so well-preserved homes of (mostly) Western…

4. Ikuta-jinja

1.02 MILES

Kōbe's signature shrine is said to date from 201, though it's been rebuilt many a time – a symbol of resilience for the city. It's right in the middle of…

5. City Hall Observation Lobby

1.37 MILES

The 24th-floor observatory atop Kōbe's City Hall stays open generously late so you can get a night view of the city, towards the mountains or the bay …

6. Nankin-machi

1.46 MILES

Kōbe's Chinatown – Nankin comes from Nanjing; machi just means town – dates to the early days of the city opening its port to foreign traders. It was…

7. Kōbe City Museum

1.51 MILES

Kōbe's local-history museum, in a Greek-revival-style building dating from 1935, is undergoing major renovations and scheduled to reopen in November 2019.

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "japan/kansai/kobe/attractions/nunobiki-falls/a/poi-sig/1329535/356699",
  "destination": "Kōbe",
  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "Japan",
  "city": "Kōbe",
  "position": "superzone"
}