Namekawa Great Falls, Mountain waterfall in Yonezawa, Japan

Namekawa Great Falls drops 80 metres over a 40-metre-wide rhyolite face on the Matsu River, a tributary of the Abukuma River, at about 860 metres elevation in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture. The water divides into several streams across the rock rather than falling in a single sheet.

The selection for Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls, published by the Ministry of the Environment in 1990, was led mainly by local authorities, and Yonezawa recommended Shirobu Great Falls near Shirabu Onsen because it was easier to reach and already a tourist site. Nagase Kabei, one of the few committee members who knew waterfalls well, pushed for Namekawa Great Falls instead, since its scale was several times larger. After the choice, the authorities reportedly asked for it to be changed, without success.

The trailhead for the falls is the car park of Namekawa Onsen Fukushima-ya, a hot-spring inn about 1 km below the viewpoint. The inn's car park is reserved for guests, so hikers visiting only the falls use the parking space near Namekawa Bridge, roughly 100 m before the inn.

The hike to the waterfall base requires moderate physical effort with elevation changes throughout the route. Wear proper footwear and bring enough water, as the path winds through wooded terrain that can be muddy after rain.

The viewing platform has no sign or marker identifying it as a viewpoint or noting the waterfall's Top 100 status, a result of Yonezawa having pushed for Shirabu Great Falls instead. The only path to the platform crosses a suspension bridge replaced in 2022 with a new span about 20 metres long.