Three men were held by the police after climbing on the sacred Nachi no Taki falls in Nachi-Katsuura, a Unesco world heritage site.

A 32-year-old man from Kofu, who reportedly won an international climbing award, was among the three men. The other two were a 35-year-old from Kokubunji, Tokyo, and a 28-year-old from Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture.

Their reason was, according to the police, that they wanted to climb the “No. 1 waterfall in Japan”.

The police decided to release the men after questioning, as they admitted the charges and answered all the questions. Documentation about the case will be sent by the police to prosecutors.

The 133-meter waterfall is part of sacred sites and pilgrimage routes in the Kii mountain area. The area around can not be trespassed by visitors, as the waterfall is the object of worship at Kumano Nachi Taisha shrine.