Shiraito Waterfall (Shiraito-no-taki [白糸の滝]) and Otodome Waterfall (Otodome-no-taki [音止の滝])

Fujinomiya / Mt Fuji, Shizuoka / Yamanashi, Japan

About Shiraito Waterfall (Shiraito-no-taki [白糸の滝]) and Otodome Waterfall (Otodome-no-taki [音止の滝])

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The combination of the Shiraito Waterfall (Shiraito-no-taki [白糸の滝]; Shiraito Falls) and Otodome Waterfall (Otodome-no-taki [音止の滝]; Otodome Falls) was one of the more unique waterfall duos in Japan.

This waterfall pair was memorable to Julie and I because of the trouble we went through to access them on our first visit in May 2009 (back then, it was a little off the beaten path on the western slopes of Mt Fuji).

Shiraito_Fuji_147_07232023 - Mt Fuji seen together with the Shiraito Waterfall
Mt Fuji seen together with the Shiraito Waterfall

However, when we got wiser and self-drove to this place 14 years later in July 2023, we were treated to hot weather that also revealed to us that it was possible to witness the Shiraito Falls together with Mt Fuji!

Moreover, the Otodome Falls and Shiraito Falls each had some unique characteristics about them, and we’ll delve right into these traits as well as how experiencing these falls had changed over the years.

About the Shiraito Waterfall

The Shiraito Waterfall was different in that it was a very wide percolating series of springs (said to be 150m long) appearing like weeping walls through moss and other foliage.

The waterfall stretched for such a wide area that there was practically no way any single photograph could do it justice to convey its scale.

Shiraito_057_05262009 - The main part of Shiraito Falls seen from the plunge pool during our first visit back in May 2009. We found out on a subsequent visit 14 years later that you can't legally get this perspective anymore
The main part of Shiraito Falls seen from the plunge pool during our first visit back in May 2009. We found out on a subsequent visit 14 years later that you can’t legally get this perspective anymore

The stitched photograph (or Pano mode shots) you’ll see later on in this page was our best attempt at capturing it, but even that didn’t show the entire width of the overall waterfall.

On our first visit to the Shiraito Falls in May 2009, there were buildings closer to the gorge containing this waterfall, and this included a shop right across the plunge pool from the falls itself.

Back then, the shops and cafes kind of kept this place from being completely peaceful and naturesque, but when we came back 14 years later, all the buildings were either re-located or gone.

I suspect that a series of rock falls and landslides demonstrated the folly of building so close to the falls, and thus it made sense to not roll the dice with Nature by not building there anymore.

Shiraito_032_05262009 - Context of the Shiraito Waterfall and bridge fronting it as seen in May 2009
Context of the Shiraito Waterfall and bridge fronting it as seen in May 2009

Nevertheless, after having done this waterfall twice over a span of 14 years, we have to say that the Shiraito Waterfall has to be one of our favorites in Japan, and it certainly deserves to be in our Top 10 Japan Waterfalls List.

Further adding to the scenic allure of the Shiraito-no-taki was the pool at its base, which exhibited some deep blue colors when the sun came out.

About the Otodome Waterfall

As if the Shiraito Waterfall alone wasn’t reason enough for a visit, the Otodome Waterfall was nearby, and this was more of a narrower, classical waterfall with pretty good volume.

It plunged into an oblong pool that also exhibited some of that greenish blue color we saw at the larger Shiraito-no-taki.

Shiraito_008_05262009 - The Otodome Waterfall (i.e. 'stop the sound' waterfall), which preceded the Shiraito Waterfall
The Otodome Waterfall (i.e. ‘stop the sound’ waterfall), which preceded the Shiraito Waterfall

To Julie and I, this was really more of a warm-up to the Shiraito-no-taki act, but it was a legitimate waterfall in its own right (almost reminding me of a smaller version of Snoqualmie Falls.

A sign here indicated that this 25m falls meant “stop the sound”, which also told of a legend behind the name.

Basically, it told of the desire of the Soga Brothers to silence the roar of the waterfall in order to have a moment of quiet and consultation before attempting a revenge killing (for their father’s death).

In any case, we could’ve guessed the meaning of the word from looking at the kanji characters as well, where the first two characters also translated into “sound stop.”

Shiraito_Fuji_006_iPhone_07242023 - Direct look at the Otodome Waterfall. Notice the fallen infrastructure on the left side of the gorge, which might have explained why the lookouts were limited and the shops were relocated during our July 2023 visit
Direct look at the Otodome Waterfall. Notice the fallen infrastructure on the left side of the gorge, which might have explained why the lookouts were limited and the shops were relocated during our July 2023 visit

Now like the Shiraito Falls, there used to be shops built right onto the gorge containing the Otodome Falls, but landslides and erosion over time forced the relocation of these shops.

In fact, we saw evidence of fallen infrastructure in the gorge, and the new lookouts were limited to just a couple of spots on the rim fronted by overgrowth.

That said, it did appear that a new viewing platform was being developed as of our July 2023 visit though it’s not clear to me when that will be finished (it didn’t matter to our visit anyway).

The effort of reaching the Shiraito and Otodome Waterfalls

We visited the Shiraito Waterfall and Otodome Waterfall twice over a span of 14 years, where the first time was via public transport while the second time was by self-driving.

Shiraito_130_05262009 - Context of the Shiraito Waterfall with the viewing area and walkways before it as seen in late May 2009
Context of the Shiraito Waterfall with the viewing area and walkways before it as seen in late May 2009

In both instances, we were staying in Kawaguckiko so that served as our base for taking a bus or self-driving.

We’ll get into the specifics of the logistics in the directions below.

That said, realize that via public transport, this took the better part of a day (definitely longer than a half-day) to work with the infrequent bus schedules (something the visitor center in Kawaguchiko even advised us against doing).

Conversely, it took us around an hour to self-drive in each direction while we spent between 1-2 hours leisurely exploring as much of both the Shiraito and Otodome Falls as we could.

Shiraito_049_05262009 - Paying closer attention to the seepage all along the walls around the Shiraito Waterfall
Paying closer attention to the seepage all along the walls around the Shiraito Waterfall

Therefore, it’s a good idea to budget at least 3-4 hours for this excursion if afforded the flexibility and freedom of self-driving.

As for the the walk to experience both waterfalls, the Otodome Falls was about 200m from the car park while the Shiraito Falls was about 450m from the car park.

There are many options for extending a visit or shortening it to just a few lookouts before leaving, and in my personal example, I did a 1km loop spending the better part of nearly 2 hours (mostly to stop and take lots of photos).

The walk was pretty much all downhill on the way to the Shiraito Waterfall, but it was such a developed walkway that I’d hardly consider it a hike.

Shiraito_Fuji_164_07232023 - Wide look at the Shiraito Waterfall from the Takimibashi Bridge. Notice the lack of buildings around the waterfall during this July 2023 visit, which contrasted mightily with our late May 2009 visit
Wide look at the Shiraito Waterfall from the Takimibashi Bridge. Notice the lack of buildings around the waterfall during this July 2023 visit, which contrasted mightily with our late May 2009 visit

After getting to the bottom and crossing the Takimibashi Bridge to get to where the Shiraito Waterfall viewing area was, there was also a climb up to an observation deck that afforded me a view of both Mt Fuji and Shiraito Falls together.

Beyond the observation deck, the trail continued on a much longer loop through a quieter part of the Shiraito Falls Park, but this deck was my out-and-back turnaround point, which made the overall walking distance on the order of 1km.

While there were more buildings and more opportunities to get close to each of the waterfalls on our first visit, on our second visit, we couldn’t have as intimate of an encounter with these falls given the barriers were more set back.

Anyways, most of the shops were re-located to an open area closer to the nearest car park a bit upstream from the Otodome Falls.

Shiraito_084_05262009 - Looking back away from the Shiraito Waterfall revealing the extent of its reach (and thus its overall size) as seen in late May 2009. Notice that the building is no longer there during our July 2023 visit
Looking back away from the Shiraito Waterfall revealing the extent of its reach (and thus its overall size) as seen in late May 2009. Notice that the building is no longer there during our July 2023 visit

Finally, while the Shiraito Falls and Otodome Falls were already somewhat popular on our first visit with Japanese visitors, our second visit 14 years later definitely had a more international feel.

I’m pretty sure that this is one of those places that blew up on the socials over the years so you’re likely to be sharing the experience with lots of people (both foreign and domestic).

Authorities

The Shiraito Waterfall and Otodome Waterfall reside in the Fujinomiya area of the Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is administered by the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the Ministry of the Environment website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: fujinomiya, mt fuji, mount fuji, fujisan, fujiyama, shizuoka, yamanashi, japan, waterfall



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Comparison January 27, 2022 6:50 pm by Brian Jeppesen - When I first saw this waterfall, I immediately thought of Burney Falls in California. The seepage or maybe weepage was quite similar. Shiraito Falls is much wider. ...Read More

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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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