Shiraito Falls (Shizuoka) 白糸の滝

Stretching across 150 meters and dropping from a height of 20 meters, the flow of water over Shiraito Falls is, in most places, as thin and delicate as silk thread. There are hundreds of these threads, springing from a solid wall of lava, offering up snowmelt from Mt. Fuji in the southwest.

Poets have frequently written about Shiraito Falls, and the waterfalls are both a nationally designated place of scenic beauty and an official Natural Treasure.

You can reach the falls by bus from a few different stations and then a short walk.

Buses running between Shin-Fuji Station, Fujinomiya Station, and Fuji Five Lakes stop at Shiraito Falls. The walking trail down from the road takes less than five minutes. A bus from Shin-Fuji Station takes about an hour, but there are only a few buses per day.

The fall season is particularly beautiful at Shiraito Falls, adding splashes of red and yellow to the deep green backdrop as the leaves change. Near Shiraito Falls, there is another waterfall (Otodome Falls) with a much bolder cascade, dropping 25 meters in roaring fashion. Both falls rank in the top 100 in the country.