Shiramizu Falls (National Designated Place of Scenic Beauty)
Shiramizu Falls is a sheer waterfall with a drop of 67.4 meters, located upstream along the Oshirakawa River in Shirakawa Village. From the observation deck on the opposite bank, visitors can take in the full view of the water plunging straight down from the lip of the falls to the basin below, some 200 meters away. Snowmelt that has accumulated on Mt. Hakusan rushes over the cliff in a single cascade, crashing into the pool below and sending up clouds of brilliant white spray—a powerful sight that overwhelms all who behold it.
The waterfall was created by the “Shiramizu Falls Lava Flow,” produced by an eruption of Mt. Hakusan approximately 2,200 years ago. Lava from this eruption filled the Oshiramizu Valley and Yudani Valley, forming a tongue-shaped plateau known as Sarugababa. At the edge of this plateau, a steep cliff developed, over which the waters of the Koshiramizu Valley and the Oshiramizu Valley now plunge, forming Shiramizu Falls as seen today. The observation deck itself stands atop this lava flow, allowing visitors to sense the geological origins of the waterfall at close range.
At the base of the falls spreads an emerald-green pool characteristic of the Oshirakawa area, creating a fantastical contrast with the white spray of the falling water. The surrounding cliffs clearly display columnar joints formed as lava cooled and solidified, preserving visible traces of the eruption 2,200 years ago. The differing orientations of these joints on either side of the falls make the site particularly valuable from a geological perspective.
The surrounding forest is covered with broadleaf woodland dominated by Japanese beech and mizunara oak, providing a changing seasonal backdrop that enhances the falls—fresh green in spring, deep green in summer, vivid autumn foliage, and snow-covered scenery in winter. In the distance rise the peaks of the southern Hakusan ridgeline, allowing visitors to view the waterfall against the dramatic backdrop of the Hakusan mountain range.
Owing to the value of this natural landscape, the Oshirakawa area including Shiramizu Falls was designated Hakusan Quasi-National Park in 1955 and elevated to Hakusan National Park in 1962. On February 21, 2024, Shiramizu Falls was officially designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty, becoming the first waterfall in Gifu Prefecture to receive this designation.
Formed by the cliffs and watercourses created through the volcanic activity of Mt. Hakusan, Shiramizu Falls is a site of exceptional scientific and scenic value. The thunderous roar and rising spray continue to echo the memory of Hakusan’s volcanic past, and the falls endure as a natural symbol of Shirakawa Village, preserved and passed on to future generations.
Photo by Koyo Hosoe (collection of Gifu Prefectural Museum of Art)