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Hundreds of thin streams falling from a curved, tree-covered cliff at Shiraito Falls
Photo: Alpsdake, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Shizuoka · waterfall

Shiraito Falls

白糸の滝

Snowmelt from Mount Fuji pours from a 150m-wide rock wall like hundreds of white threads. One of the component sites of the World Heritage site "Fujisan".

Shiraito Falls in spring green, with a larger fall on the left and a curtain of streams
Photo: InvictusOU812 from USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

"White threads" made by Mount Fuji

Shiraito Falls is a waterfall in the city of Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture. Hundreds of large and small falls pour from a curved cliff 20m high and 150m wide. The name, meaning "white threads", comes from the way they look like white threads hanging down.

The water is spring water from rain and snow that has soaked into Mount Fuji. It wells up at the boundary between a newer, permeable lava layer (the Shin-Fuji volcanic layer) and an older layer that water struggles to pass through (the Ko-Fuji volcanic layer), which is why the falls emerge in a horizontal line partway down the cliff. The water stays at about 12°C all year round, and about 1.5 tonnes of it flow out every second.

Shiraito Falls as a place of worship

Shiraito Falls is one of the component sites of "Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration", which was inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2013.

Hasegawa Kakugyo, regarded as the founder of Fuji-ko (groups of Mount Fuji worshippers that spread during the Edo period), is said to have practised suigyo here (an ascetic practice of standing under a waterfall or in cold water), and the falls became a place of pilgrimage and training for Fuji-ko believers.

In 1936 the falls were designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument, and in 1990 they were also chosen as one of Japan's 100 best waterfalls.

Otodome Falls, just next door

Right beside Shiraito Falls is Otodome Falls (Otodome no Taki), and the two are designated together as a national Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument. Unlike the rows of thin streams at Shiraito, Otodome is a single thick torrent that crashes down powerfully, and a legend of the Soga brothers' revenge is linked to it.

To get close to the plunge pool, you go down about 100 steps. There is a viewpoint that can be reached by wheelchair.

Getting there

It is about 30 minutes by bus from JR Fujinomiya Station. Check bus times with Fujikyu Shizuoka Bus.

If you come by car, there is paid parking.

Tips

  • Drone photography, and filming for media or commercial purposes, require an application to Fujinomiya City in advance.
  • Shiraito Falls and Otodome Falls are within walking distance of each other, so it is well worth seeing both.

Sources

Updated 28 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

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