Shosenkyo Gorge 御岳昇仙峡

Beautiful nature

A few kilometers from downtown Kofu, the Arakawa River, a tributary of the Fuji River, flows through the steep Shosenkyo Gorge . These stretch from Nagatoro Bridge to Sengataki Falls. It is a very popular place for hikers . It must be said that it is particularly pleasant to walk in such a splendid natural setting. In the middle of kôyô (between mid-October and the end of November), the leaves of the trees turn brown, purple and red. Before a walk on the spot, remember to take a map detailing the main points of interest and the possible routes (from 1 to 8 km) at the Kofu tourist office. The gateway to this valley is the Nagatoro arch bridge. Built in 1925, it is the oldest concrete road bridge in the prefecture.

To read: Kôyô, autumn in red and gold

Chinese priest, a cliff-climbing dragon, an eboshi hat, a tengu , and a floating stone.

If some are obvious to identify, others require, let's face it, a good dose of imagination! Now it's up to you to expand the list. Nothing like a little game to punctuate a walk with family or friends.

Have

While crossing these gorges, you will come across several picturesque sites and monuments:

• The love bridge or Ai no kakehashi: legend has it that this wooden bridge reveals true love when you cross it as a couple.
• The Tenkorin : in a specific place in the forest, the ground is at the origin of a very curious phenomenon. If you hit the ground hard with both feet, it will send you an echo in return. The echoes as clear and loud as a drum roll are due to the very firm and hard earth of this mountainous region.
• The Kakuenpo , symbol of the valley: rising to 180 meters high, this peak is the highest of the gorges. The monk Kakuen used to meditate at its summit despite the very small area of the place.
• The Ishimon gate : this natural stone arch, overlooking the path, rests at the tip on an enormous block of granite. The result is a rather frightening feeling of instability.
• The Sengataki falls : located in the lower part of the gorges, these are 30 meters high.
• The Shosenkyo shadow museum or Shosenkyo kage no mori museum: created in 1992 by the master of shadow painting, Seiji Fujishiro, this museum presents surprising kage-e (shadow painting) where the characters are only silhouettes like in shadow theatre.
• To the summit of Mount Rakanji : You can take the cable car from Sengataki station to reach the summit of Mount Rakanji, culminating at 1058 meters. From the observatory, the view of Mount Fuji and the Japanese Alps is spectacular. At the foot of the cable car's summit station, the small Yakumo sanctuary , founded in 1564, awaits you.
• As you descend, you can continue the walk beyond the gorge by following the trail to the Arakawa Dam and then to Arataki Falls in the Itajiki Valley.