Shiraito Falls
About this viewpoint
Shiraito means white threads, a fitting name for the 150 m curtain of waterfalls that flows out of the porous lava base of Fuji. The water is entirely snowmelt that has filtered through the mountain for decades. The falls are part of the UNESCO Fujisan listing.
How they form
Fuji's volcanic layer cake holds the snowmelt in an underground aquifer. Where the porous lava meets the impermeable older Komitake basalt, water bursts out as the falls. It takes the water decades to travel from summit snow to the cliff face.
Pair with Fujinomiya
Fujinomiya Sengen Taisha shrine, the symbolic head shrine of all Fujisan worship, is a 20 minute drive south and a fitting stop before or after the falls.
Photographer tips
- The lower viewing platform is the postcard angle, the upper trail gives wider context.
- Spray is heavy, protect your lens with a rain cover.
- Combine with Otodome Falls 200 m upstream for a two waterfall morning.
Getting there
Practical info
¥200 maintenance fee
Paid lot at the entrance, ¥500.
Steep staircase down to the falls. Upper trail is mostly step free.
16 to 35 mm wide angle. ND filter for silky water at 1 to 2 seconds.
Where to eat nearby
- Fujinomiya yakisoba alley
Town center fried noodle stalls, the regional B grade specialty.
Best rail pass for Shiraito Falls
These are the rail passes that actually reach Shiraito Falls. Buy your pass before you fly, then collect it at any major Japanese airport or city station.
Japan Rail Pass (7 days)Recommended
Tokaido Shinkansen Kodama and Hikari to Mishima, Shin-Fuji and Shizuoka are fully covered, plus local JR Tokaido line trains along the Shizuoka coast.
Mt Fuji Shizuoka Pass
Local buses and trains around Shin-Fuji, Mishima and Shimizu. Lighter and cheaper than a national pass if Fuji is your only Shinkansen leg.
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