Shigure Waterfall (shiguretaki [時雨滝])

Utoro, Hokkaido, Japan

About Shigure Waterfall (shiguretaki [時雨滝])

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Shigure Waterfall (shigure-taki [時雨滝]; “Rain Shower Falls?”) was a pretty conspicuous roadside waterfall in Utoro Town that also happens to be geothermally heated.

In fact, it faces the Sea of Okhotsk in the northern end of town, and you pretty much can’t miss it if you’re driving between Utoro and Shiretoko National Park.

Utoro_065_07172023 - The Shigure Waterfall in Utoro
The Shigure Waterfall in Utoro

Julie and I even noticed this waterfall when we first visited the Shiretoko Peninsula in early June 2009.

Back then, I didn’t know this waterfall’s name (for some reason it never really showed on the maps) nor did we bother doing a write-up for it because we weren’t sure if it was legit or man-made.

After re-visiting the town of Utoro and this waterfall once again some 14 years later, I finally learned on GoogleMaps that it was called Shigure Falls (though it could very well be just some random person providing this name).

Moreover, I still can’t say if this waterfall that seems to have some geothermal heating has been enhanced from the outflow of onsen resorts further up the hill.

Utoro_068_07172023 - Unobstructed view of the Shigure Waterfall and the context of its surroundings as seen from right across its small plunge pool
Unobstructed view of the Shigure Waterfall and the context of its surroundings as seen from right across its small plunge pool

One of the resorts happened to be one that we stayed at called the Kiki Shiretoko Resort, which I know was accompanied by other neighboring onsens.

That said, the word shigure could mean “rain shower”, which is what the kanji seems to suggest (if indeed this is the real name of the waterfall).

Nevertheless, as you can see, I ultimately made a write-up for it because even if it wasn’t legit, it’s too noticeable not to say anything about it.

As far as experiencing this waterfall, there wasn’t any legal parking or pullout immediately around the falls to treat it like a roadside waterfall visit.

Utoro_004_iPhone_07182023 - Imagine my surprise when I noticed this fox with a kill in its mouth running across the road while I was busy checking out the Shigure Falls in Utoro
Imagine my surprise when I noticed this fox with a kill in its mouth running across the road while I was busy checking out the Shigure Falls in Utoro

However, there were establishments (including public lots) further within the main part of Utoro Town, where you can park and then walk to the waterfall.

In my case, I parked at a 7-11 at a nearby street corner, bought something, and then walked the 250m to the front of this waterfall.

It sat right across the street from a defunct mother-daughter bowl place (well, at least it closed down as of our last visit in July 2023 though I think it was open during our June 2009 visit).

Authorities

The Shigure Waterfall sat on the northern end of the town of Utoro, which belongs in the Shari District of Hokkaido, Japan. It may be administered by the local authorities of Utoro. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the Shiretoko Shari Tourist Association website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.

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Tagged with: shigure falls, shiguretaki, shiguretaki falls, shiguretaki waterfall, utoro waterfall, utoro, hokkaido, japan



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About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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