Majestic Cascades: Shōmyō Waterfall

Great destination! Enjoyed the open trail and peaceful outdoor atmosphere.

The best time to see Shomyo Falls is in early summer or autumn. It is also known as a famous spot for autumn leaves, but it is especially impressive in early summer when the flow rate increases due to melting snow from Midagahara. It also appears together with Hannoki Falls and Somen Falls, which appear only at that time. Hannoki Falls falls 500 meters from the top of a cliff, while Shomyo Falls falls 350 meters from a valley carved by a constant torrent. At first glance, Hannoki Falls is higher and the basin where it falls is the same, but as mentioned earlier, Hannoki Falls is a seasonal waterfall, so Shomyo Falls is said to have the largest drop in Japan. Cars are not allowed around the observation deck of Shomyo Falls, so you have to walk uphill for about 30 minutes from the bus stop or parking lot near the Shomyo-daira rest area. If you see Hannoki Falls, which is clearly visible from afar, and decide to turn back, you will end up like a monk at Ninna-ji Temple, so be careful. Although it is certainly worth seeing, access by public transport is not so good. From May to November, the Shomyo Falls sightseeing bus runs from the nearest Tateyama Station to the Shomyo Falls bus stop in front of the Shomyo-daira rest area, but as of May 2024, it is ignored by both Google Maps and Navitime. The timetable can finally be found by digging into the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route website. There are five round trips per day, and connections with trains are not taken into consideration. It is recommended to visit on a sunny afternoon when a rainbow appears over the waterfall basin, but the return bus departs a little too early for those who want to take a closer look, those with small children who cannot walk briskly, and those with elderly people. In that case, you can use a taxi, but there are no taxis waiting in front of Tateyama Station. If you request a taxi, you will normally have to wait 30 minutes. It is reasonable to call a taxi according to the expected arrival time at Tateyama Station, stop by the scenic spot "Akujo Wall" on the way, and use the bus on the way back.

It was Golden Week, and these photos were taken from inside the Tateyama Kogen bus on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. On both the way there and back, the bus stopped at observation spots so we could enjoy the views from inside the bus.

Great destination! Enjoyed the open trail and peaceful outdoor atmosphere.

Visited in July 2017. Rich in negative ions. It is an amazing waterfall. I have to walk a lot.