Minoo Waterfall is the jewel at the end of Minoo Park’s main hiking trail that goes along a river valley surrounded by a lush forest. The park is just outside Osaka and one of the best places in Kansai to enjoy the autumn foliage, although it is beautiful all year long. The best time for autumn colors is usually in the second half of November. Bright new green leaves are also a sight in spring.

General information

Minoo Waterfall, also transcribed as Minoh or Mino, is a 33 meter high waterfall located in Minoo Park, which in 1967 was given quasi-national park status. The park overall is a great place to feast your eyes on Japanese pine and momiji trees (small maple leave trees).

From Hankyu Minoo station, the trail to the waterfall is 3 km. All the way is paved and the incline up to the waterfall is mostly gentle with some steeper sections in the second half of the ascent. Along the first half of the trail there are several shops, temples and other facilities, like public restrooms. Depending on the time of the year or on the day of the week, some of them may be closed. In the lower area, there are a few restaurants. In the mid-section, there is an insectarium where you can learn about fauna in the area. Finally, at the top, there are also some food stalls where you can enjoy a grilled fish skewer or different kinds of teas and ice-cream.

Along the main trail, there are also several smaller ones that branch away, most of them non-paved and with several stairs along the way, which venture deeper into the mountain.

The park used to have a colony of wild monkeys, so, along the way, you will see several signs warning about their presence (the monkeys were actually dangerous if you had food on you). However, lately the group is not there anymore, so it has become uncommon to see them.

During weekdays, the park is usually very calm with senior hikers strolling leisurely up and down the way. On weekends, it tends to get a bit more crowded, as it is a very popular and easy escape to the nature from central Osaka. The park is open all year round and it is completely free.

Getting There

From Umeda station in the center of Osaka, take the Hankyu Takarazuka line to Ishibashi Handai-mae station. There you should transfer to the Hankyu Minoo line and go to Minoo station. If you are a wheelchair user, to board most Hankyu trains you need to ask for a ramp to get on and off at any of the staff nearby the ticket gates. Depending on how long the transfer takes, the whole train trip from Umeda station is about 30 minutes.

If you do not mind walking a bit more, depending on where you are in Osaka, you can use the subway Midosuji line (the red one) to get directly to Minoh-Kayano station. For instance, it takes 25 minutes from Umeda subway station or a bit more than 30 from Namba station. Once at Minoh-Kayano station, walk a bit more than 2 km to Hankyu Minoo station. Then, head North and start walking along the trail to Minoo Waterfall. Minoh-Kayano station is completely wheelchair accessible, with no step or gap between the train and the platform. Thus, depending on which Midosuji line station you are getting on the subway, you do not need to ask for the ramp service.

Accessibility

The trail highlighted below is recommended for people that can walk or roll for at least 3 km up and then 3 more km down a mild to moderate paved incline, although there are a few short stretches where it gets steeper. For wheelchair users, an electric wheelchair or some kind of power assist or a pushing companion is recommended.

The pavement is mostly smooth, although in some areas it has gotten a bit rougher due to erosion. Nevertheless, the trail is repaved often, so really rough pavement should not be present. At a calm pace, the climb is 45 to 60 minutes or a bit more if you stop along the way to enjoy the sights.

Along the way there are a few rest areas with benches. Some of them are a bit out of the main trail. Stairs on secondary paths or the low wooden fence that goes along most of the trail may also be used as a sitting option if benches are not around. Once you reach the top, next to the waterfall there are many benches.

Accessible restrooms can be found at both Hankyu Minoo station and at Minoh-Kayano station. Also, near the beginning of the trail, there is a shortcut with a rest area and a wheelchair accessible restroom.

Food is mostly available at the beginning of the trail (with some traditional restaurants), although there are also some along the way (they may be closed on weekdays). Accessibility wise, most restaurants are not wheelchair accessible. Nevertheless, most of the restaurants at Hankyu Minoo station are, as well as some along the way, such as Yuzuya Café. Food stalls near the waterfall may have high counters, but as food is for take away you can order and eat it on benches nearby.

As a final tip, if you decide to use the Midosuji line and get off at Minoh-Kayano, do not use Google Maps to go directly to Minoo Park, as it will take you through extreme inclines. Instead, use Google Maps to go to Hankyu Minoo station. Sidewalks on some roads can be too narrow for wheelchairs, so do not hesitate to use side streets, as there are no sidewalks on them. However, do not use side streets that lie to the north of Hankyu Minoo station as they can get really steep and uneven. Stick to side streets to approach Hankyu Minoo station from the South-West.

All in all, the way is calm with the soothing sound of the river that draws the valley, singing birds and the rustling of leaves. An easy and quite accessible way to get to the wonderful Japanese nature from a major city.

More information

If you have any doubts on the routes from the stations to the waterfall, check our map among the photos of the hike below.