Fūchiburu Falls, Waterfall on Amami island, Japan
Fūchiburu Falls is a waterfall on the eastern coast of Amami-Oshima island in Japan. The water drops from a rocky cliff face straight into the ocean, falling roughly 590 feet (180 meters) along a steep, forested slope.
For a long time, the falls were known only to local fishermen and residents who caught glimpses of them from the sea. Their full size was officially confirmed only after a local photographer used a drone to document them, and the city of Amami used satellite images to measure the drop.
The falls are hard to reach from land because the surrounding coast is rocky and rough. Getting a clear view usually requires a boat, so it is worth checking local conditions and asking around before heading out.
The waterfall already had two local names before any official campaign: 'Kurukichi no Taki', meaning black rock falls, and 'Fuchiburu no Taki', named after a community that once lived upstream. When the city of Amami launched a national naming campaign in 2021 and received thousands of suggestions, local residents asked for it to be stopped, saying the traditional names had been in use for generations.
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