Uehara, Taketomi Town (Iriomote Island)

This is one of Iriomote’s signature waterfalls located on the upper stream of the Urauchi River -- the longest river in Okinawa, flowing in the western area of Iriomote Island. A variety of tours to Mariudo Waterfall are on offer. The tours featuring a sightseeing boat ride to the base camp, known as Gunkan-iwa Point, a trek through subtropical forest from the base camp to the waterfall viewing platform and back (about 40 minutes, 3km round trip) and a kayak adventure from the base camp downstream on the river are very popular. This is a three-level waterfall with a height of 16 meters and an abundant quantity of water. You can enjoy the grandeur of Mariudo Waterfall even at a distance from the viewing platform. Featuring a beautifully rounded plunge basin, Mariudo Waterfall has been designated among the 100 best waterfalls in Japan.

Uehara, Taketomi Town (Iriomote Island)

This is a magnificent, three-tiered waterfall with a width of 20 meters and a drop of about 55 meters, the highest in Okinawa. The waterfall is located on the upper course of the Uchiura River -- the longest river in Okinawa, flowing in the western part of Iriomote Island. Pinaisara means old man’s beard. As its name implies, the waterfall has from a distance the appearance of the white beard of an old man. You can enjoy a refreshing swim in the huge plunge basin with a diameter of 130 meters. To get to Pinaisara Waterfall, you are encouraged to sign up for a tour that takes you trekking amid lush forest to the waterfall after a leisurely ride by kayak through the mangroves to the base camp (trekking: about 60 minutes one way; kayaking: about 40-50 minutes one way). The tour is designed for everyone, including kayaking beginners, to enjoy a first-hand experience with Iriomote’s great nature, including mountains, streams and waterfalls. From the top of the waterfall, you can admire an amazing panoramic view stretching as far as Hatoma, Barasu and Hatobanare islands.

Iriomote, Taketomi Town (Iriomote Island)

Kanpire Waterfall is found on the upper course of the Urauchi River -- the longest river in the prefecture flowing in the western part of Iriomote Island. Among a variety of tours to the Kanpire Waterfall available from local tour operators, the ones featuring both trekking to the waterfall and kayaking downstream on the Urauchi River are recommended for those looking to experience the magnificence of Iriomote’s nature to the fullest. Kanpire Waterfall is situated about 250 meters upstream from the Mariudo Waterfall, located about a 40-minute trek from the Gunkan-iwa (Battleship Rock) boat station, which can be reached by sightseeing boat. The sight of the 50-meter-wide Kanpire Waterfall descending over a gradually sloping rocky surface is simply amazing.

Kanpire Waterfall is said to be a place where assemblies of gods from across Iriomote Island took place long ago and is considered one of the most sacred sites on the island. Its plunge basin is a great place for splashing about in the summer. The bed of the river is soft sand, and there are a number of pot holes, cylinder-shaped formations created by moving water and stores. You can see small freshwater fish and shrimp swimming in these pot holes.