Mount Fuji Day Trip - Part 3

A one day drive to Fuji Five Lakes area continues. Part one is HERE. Part two is HERE.

It was still too early to head back to Kanagawa, so my friend suggested visiting two famous waterfalls in the area: Shiraito and Otodome. One thing that surprised us: these supposedly "free" sights were now surrounded by parking lots charging fees from ¥100 ~ 400 per vehicle; a scam perhaps?

From the main road, it took about 10 minutes to walk to the first waterfall, Otodome, which translates to: "the sound stops". It's a powerful waterfall, with a large amount of water tumbling and crashing over a sharp edge.

Otodome waterfall:

The second, more picturesque waterfall is Shiraito ("silk thread"):

The waterfall's viewing area is currently under construction, so visitors are forbidden from getting close to the waterfall itself. The photo above was taken from the staircase leading down to the river. That point actually gave the best view, as the lowest level viewing point is surrounded by construction walls. It was unclear when construction would be completed.

Finally, on the way home, we passed by a local park hosting an event. I asked if we could stop and take a look, even though it was dark. There, lines of Japanese maple trees were lit to display their autumn colors. It was quite a romantic spot!

A lit path of Japanese maple trees:

A close up of the Japanese maple leaf:

I snapped a photo of the sign, advertising the event. The sign reads: "Viewing Autumn Leaves Event".
It ran from October 27 ~ November 11.

There are so many things to see and do in the Fuji area, visitors should really plan to stay for at least 2~3 days. A one day trip was not enough for my adventurous taste. ^_^

General information about the Fuji Five Lakes area is HERE.