（３６０） Ｓｈｉｒａｉｔｏ Ｆａｌｌｓ ｉｎ Ｆｕｊｉｎｏｍｉｙａ Ｃｉｔｙ
文字数 4,018文字
We went to “Shiraito Falls (白糸の滝)”, which is the closest and most famous of the sightseeing spots around Lake Tanuki.
"Shiraito Falls" in Fujinomiya City is a scenic spot that was selected as one of the top 100 waterfalls in Japan in 1990.
Waterfalls named "Shiraito Falls" can be found all over the country. Shiraito Falls in Tozawa Village (戸沢村), Yamagata Prefecture, with a drop of 120m, was also selected as one of the top 100 waterfalls in Japan. In "Chapter 42: Ms. Merci Appeared in Karuizawa", I introduced Shiraito Falls in Karuizawa.
Well, Shiraito Falls in Fujinomiya City has two distinctive features.
First, it is rare for rivers to diverge and quickly reconnect. That is to say, the natural formation of bypass rivers rarely happens.
The Shiba River, where Shiraito Falls is located, splits upstream of Shiraito Falls and rejoins downstream of Shiraito Falls. In other words, Shiba River at Shiraito Falls is divided
into two parallel rivers. The other branch of the diverted river has Otodome Falls.
Secondly, Shiba River water is only part of the source of Shiraito Falls. This falls is located on a cliff made up of the Shin-Fuji Volcanic Layer, which has a permeable top and the Old-Fuji Volcanic Layer, which has an impermeable bottom. Melted snow from Mt. Fuji flows down from between the two strata of this curved cliff, which is 20m high and 150m wide, forming hundreds of Shiraito waterfalls. Simply put, the main source of water for Shiraito Falls is groundwater, not river water from the Shiba River.
By the way, have you ever heard of "The Soga Brothers' Revenge"?
The story is based on a true story of how older brother Soga Juro Sukenari (曽我十郎祐成, そが・じゅうろうすけなり） and younger brother Soga Goro Tokimune (曽我五郎時致, そが・ごろうときむね）defeated Kudo Suketsune (工藤祐経, くどう･すけつね), who had killed their father (河津祐泰, かわず・すけやす）and was a close aide of Minamoto no Yoritomo (源頼朝), the first Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate.
The revenge was carried out when Minamoto no Yoritomo (源頼朝) conducted a large-scale maki-gari at the foot of Mt. Fuji In 1193.
(※"Maki-gari" is a hunting method in which the person in charge of driving out the preys uses hounds to chase the prey and kill them.)
"The Soga brothers' revenge" was counted as one of the three major revenges in Japan and was regarded as a model of revenge in samurai society.
This revenge story, "Soga Monogatari (曽我物語)", has been used as the theme for plays including Noh, Ningyo Joruri, and many Kabuki plays.
Legend has it that when the brothers were discussing their revenge, the sound of Otodome Falls stopped for a moment.
① At Shiraito Falls, you can see a bridge over the Shiba River.
② I tried walking on the bridge. It is comfortable because it is not a suspension bridge.
③ From the bridge, I was able to see the Shiba River, but I couldn't see the waterfall.
④ As you walk along the road, you can see Otodome Falls.
⑤ The observatory is under construction, so this is all you can see.
⑥ Right next to it is Shiraito Falls. The bridge in the foreground is Takimi Bridge.
⑦ I am on the way down the stairs to the waterfall.
⑧ I am at the foot of Takimi Bridge.
⑨ On the left side, there is a water stream originating from the Shiba River, and to the right of it, you can see a water stream in Shiraito, where underground water flows out.
⑩ At first glance, the place where the water flow is weak doesn’t look like a waterfall.
⑪ Here you can see nice white thread curtains.
⑫These are more dynamic flows.
⑬When you approach the mainstream of Shiba River on the left, the outflow of groundwater increases.
⑭I am in front of the largest stream of Shiba River.
⑮ Finally, I’ll look at the waterfall one more time and say goodbye.
⑯ P.S. I am in Odanuki Marsh (小田貫湿原) near the Falls. For the first time, I went to a natural marsh.
⑰ P.S. I am in Inokashira Park(猪之頭公園) (which means a boar-head park in Japanese) near the Falls. There is a trout farm in this park, but there are no wild boars.
"Shiraito Falls" in Fujinomiya City is a scenic spot that was selected as one of the top 100 waterfalls in Japan in 1990.
Waterfalls named "Shiraito Falls" can be found all over the country. Shiraito Falls in Tozawa Village (戸沢村), Yamagata Prefecture, with a drop of 120m, was also selected as one of the top 100 waterfalls in Japan. In "Chapter 42: Ms. Merci Appeared in Karuizawa", I introduced Shiraito Falls in Karuizawa.
Well, Shiraito Falls in Fujinomiya City has two distinctive features.
First, it is rare for rivers to diverge and quickly reconnect. That is to say, the natural formation of bypass rivers rarely happens.
The Shiba River, where Shiraito Falls is located, splits upstream of Shiraito Falls and rejoins downstream of Shiraito Falls. In other words, Shiba River at Shiraito Falls is divided
into two parallel rivers. The other branch of the diverted river has Otodome Falls.
Secondly, Shiba River water is only part of the source of Shiraito Falls. This falls is located on a cliff made up of the Shin-Fuji Volcanic Layer, which has a permeable top and the Old-Fuji Volcanic Layer, which has an impermeable bottom. Melted snow from Mt. Fuji flows down from between the two strata of this curved cliff, which is 20m high and 150m wide, forming hundreds of Shiraito waterfalls. Simply put, the main source of water for Shiraito Falls is groundwater, not river water from the Shiba River.
By the way, have you ever heard of "The Soga Brothers' Revenge"?
The story is based on a true story of how older brother Soga Juro Sukenari (曽我十郎祐成, そが・じゅうろうすけなり） and younger brother Soga Goro Tokimune (曽我五郎時致, そが・ごろうときむね）defeated Kudo Suketsune (工藤祐経, くどう･すけつね), who had killed their father (河津祐泰, かわず・すけやす）and was a close aide of Minamoto no Yoritomo (源頼朝), the first Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate.
The revenge was carried out when Minamoto no Yoritomo (源頼朝) conducted a large-scale maki-gari at the foot of Mt. Fuji In 1193.
(※"Maki-gari" is a hunting method in which the person in charge of driving out the preys uses hounds to chase the prey and kill them.)
"The Soga brothers' revenge" was counted as one of the three major revenges in Japan and was regarded as a model of revenge in samurai society.
This revenge story, "Soga Monogatari (曽我物語)", has been used as the theme for plays including Noh, Ningyo Joruri, and many Kabuki plays.
Legend has it that when the brothers were discussing their revenge, the sound of Otodome Falls stopped for a moment.
① At Shiraito Falls, you can see a bridge over the Shiba River.
② I tried walking on the bridge. It is comfortable because it is not a suspension bridge.
③ From the bridge, I was able to see the Shiba River, but I couldn't see the waterfall.
④ As you walk along the road, you can see Otodome Falls.
⑤ The observatory is under construction, so this is all you can see.
⑥ Right next to it is Shiraito Falls. The bridge in the foreground is Takimi Bridge.
⑦ I am on the way down the stairs to the waterfall.
⑧ I am at the foot of Takimi Bridge.
⑨ On the left side, there is a water stream originating from the Shiba River, and to the right of it, you can see a water stream in Shiraito, where underground water flows out.
⑩ At first glance, the place where the water flow is weak doesn’t look like a waterfall.
⑪ Here you can see nice white thread curtains.
⑫These are more dynamic flows.
⑬When you approach the mainstream of Shiba River on the left, the outflow of groundwater increases.
⑭I am in front of the largest stream of Shiba River.
⑮ Finally, I’ll look at the waterfall one more time and say goodbye.
⑯ P.S. I am in Odanuki Marsh (小田貫湿原) near the Falls. For the first time, I went to a natural marsh.
⑰ P.S. I am in Inokashira Park(猪之頭公園) (which means a boar-head park in Japanese) near the Falls. There is a trout farm in this park, but there are no wild boars.
