Manai Falls

Manai Falls drops 17 meters into Takachiho Gorge and was recently named one of Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls. You can rent a rowboat during the day to paddle right beneath the cascade, looking up as the water crashes down around you. At night, the falls are lit in shifting colors, and the gorge takes on a different atmosphere altogether. According to local mythology, the water traces back to Ama Manai, the first spring the gods brought to the earthly realm, and the gorge is also one of the few spots in Japan where three arched bridges are visible at once.