If you're around Shizuoka City and would like to enjoy some unspoilt natural scenery, then Shirafuji Falls is a good place to find it. The paths take you to an ancient hilltop shrine, past orange orchards and tea plantations, and on to the steep, narrow gorge which I imagine has been cut by the water over thousands of years. It's very restful to stand watching the two falls, the higher one at the end of the gorge, the other a gentle cascade on your left, with no other people or sound at all to disturb the peace.
On the nearby main road you'll also find Bankyaku-in, a temple with an enormous hillside graveyard and a tall, impressive statue of the Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy.
Getting there
To get to the area of the falls, if you don't have your own transportation you'll need to first find your way to Fujieda Ote - on the bus route between Fujieda and Shin-Shizuoka stations - then take one of the infrequent buses on the Hayashi line, getting off at Mitsuishi stop.
Peter Sidell @peter.sidell
I came to Japan from Manchester, England in 2003, and have travelled a lot since then, around Japan and in Asia. When I'm not working, I write satire and perform stand-up comedy in and around Tokyo. Check YouTube for a taste.
