Spanning the Kusu River with a drop of 10 meters, Mikazuki Falls is named for the crescent-moon shape of its lip. It is also affectionately known as “The Niagara of Kusu.” A tragic love legend is associated with the falls. Komatsu Nyoin, granddaughter of Emperor Daigo, fell in love with the master flute player Kiyohara Masataka in Kyoto. Due to their differing social status, he was sent to Bungo (present-day Ōita). Komatsu followed him with eleven ladies-in-waiting, but upon reaching Mikazuki Falls, she learned he had already married someone else. Heartbroken, she composed a death poem and, along with her attendants, leapt into the waterfall. Kiyohara, upon hearing the story, recovered their bodies and enshrined them at the nearby Arashiyamataki Shrine, commemorating their tragic love.
A tragic love legend is associated with the falls. Komatsu Nyoin, granddaughter of Emperor Daigo, fell in love with the master flute player Kiyohara Masataka in Kyoto. Due to their differing social status, he was sent to Bungo (present-day Ōita). Komatsu followed him with eleven ladies-in-waiting, but upon reaching Mikazuki Falls, she learned he had already married someone else. Heartbroken, she composed a death poem and, along with her attendants, leapt into the waterfall. Kiyohara, upon hearing the story, recovered their bodies and enshrined them at the nearby Arashiyamataki Shrine, commemorating their tragic love.