Geibikei Gorge

The gorge was created by the Satetsugawa River carving its way through the surrounding limestone, and now has about 2 km of towering cliffs reach over 100 m high. Until the Meiji Period (1868–1912), the gorge was never mentioned in paintings, diagrams or local folklore recordings and remained a hidden spot known to only a few.
The boat ride is popular, with just one boatman maneuvering it with an oar. You can listen to him singing Geibi Oiwake (a boatman's folksong), adding to the atmosphere as the boat passes strangely shaped boulders such as Kagamiiwa (Mirror Rock), which shines as light reflects from the water, and Shishigahana, a boulder that resembles the face of a lion. In fact, this rock gave the gorge its name Geibi (which means lion’s nose). At the point of return, you can test your luck by trying to throw coins into a hard-to-hit hole in Daigeibigan Rock.
Flowers bloom every season along the clear river, from golden-banded lilies and northern asphodels, to purple wisteria hanging on the cliff face in late May to early June, which is especially beautiful. From December to February, boats with heated tables give passengers a chance to see through the glass-panelled window a snowscape that evokes traditional ink brush paintings. There is also a boat ride with a traditional Kinagashi nabe, a traditional hotpot that lumberjacks used to eat, containing chicken, daikon radish and burdock roots cooked in miso. Reservations are a must. A round-trip boat ride takes about 90 minutes.