This paper investigates the characteristics of waves generated by a flap-type wave maker in a two-dimensional wave channel. Measurements are carried out for various water depths, wave heights, periods, and lengths capacitance-type wave height gages. The experimental results are shown to satisfy the dispersion relation of the linear wave theory. For waves with a small height and long period, the wave profiles agree well with those of the linear wave theory. However, as the wave height and period become higher and shorter, respectively, it is shown that the wave profiles measured in the present experiments are different from the linear wave profiles, and the measured wave heights are smaller than the target wave heights, which may be due to the non-linearity of the waves. As the wave progresses toward the channel end, the wave height gradually decreases. This reduction in the wave height along the wave channel is explained by the wave energy dissipation due to the friction of the side walls of the channel. The performance of the wave absorber in the channel is found to be acceptable from the results of the wave reflection tests.