Satetsu River

Geibikei Gorge [One day trip to Hiraizumi and Geibikei]

In the afternoon we drove approx. 30 minutes to Geibikei Gorge, which is famous for its fantastic scenery and Sightseeing Boat.
We got on the barge and slowly went up the Satetsu River while listening to the boatman's tour. In this area you can enjoy a beautiful view of the valley with its colorful leaves and rocks which look like human faces and which are covered with Wisteria vines. In the clear water, big and small fish come so close to the barge that you can almost touch them. There is one more thing you can enjoy here which is called Undama. You can throw these Undama stones, which have words engraved on them like Fate, Love, and Luck, at a small hole across the river. If you are lucky and get the stone in the hole, your wishes will come true. Mathew and Peggy were both throwing the stones with serious expressions on their faces. Every time the stone went in the hole, they excitedly shouted Good!. It seemed like a good omen for their trip. On the way home we listened to the boatman sing Geibi Oiwake. The boatman's voice echoed through the valley.

　After spending half a day in Southern Iwate, both Mathew and Peggy told me that they had become really interested in the history of Hiraizumi.
They said, It's amazing that they had very large and ancient government buildings, second only to Kyoto's in size, and you can still see the remains of them!
Although Iwate Prefecture was affected by the big earthquake in March 2011, Hiraizumi was not significantly damaged, so we were able to move around easily and were able to find restaurants without any trouble.
　 At the end, Peggy smiled saying, Iwate not only has beautiful scenery but also has very friendly and kind local people, and that has really made an impression on me. It seemed that both of them had a very memorable trip.

Geibikei Gorge ( Ichinoseki City )

( Special historic site )
Geibikei is a 2-km gorge formed by the Satetsu River, surrounded by soaring cliffs of over 50 meters. The name Geibi, which means lion nose, comes from a limestone near the end of the gorge which resembles a lion's nose.

It is famous for its 90-minute round-trip boat ride, with a great view of waterfalls, impressive rocks, a limestone cave, etc. At the half way point of the ride, you can get off the boat for a walk. There is a large cliff with a small hole, and you can purchase undama or luck stones ( 5 stones for 100 yen ) and try to throw them into the hole; if you are successful, you will get good luck. There are many fish in the river, which you can feed from the boat. During the downstream ride, you can enjoy the boatman sing a local folk song called Geibi Oiwake. From December through February, you can enjoy a hot nabe dish on a boat with a kotatsu, a low table which also serves as a heater.

Geibikei offers beautiful scenery throughout the year, such as the fresh green of the spring, autumn foliage, and purple wisteria flowers on the cliffs and on the trellis at the end of the gorge in the spring.

Geibikei Gorge Riverboat Tour

Up to 50 meters deep, Geibikei Gorge stretches for about 2km along Satetsu River in Iwate. You can take a riverboat tour and enjoy its great nature.

Tōhoku Revival Calendar:

【English】All About Hiraizumi #19 Scenic areas around Hiraizumi

Hiraizumi is gaining much attention from around the world after being registered as a World Heritage Site, but there are also many interesting and attractive places nearby. Here we will introduce you to a few recommended places.

Iwai River flows through the Genbi area of Ichinoseki City, west of Hiraizumi Town. At this point the river runs into the Genbikei gorge that was nationally designated as a Natural Treasure and Place of Scenic Beauty in 1927. The potholes in the rocks were made by the flow of water. The gorge carved by the river and the surrounding nature create one of the most beautiful scenic places.

To the east of Hiraizumi, in Higashiyama, Ichinoseki City, the Satetsu (iron sand) River runs through the Geibikei gorge. This towering limestone gorge was unknown to the public until locally-born Sato Geigan reclaimed the area at his own expense in the Meiji era (1868-1912). Geibikei gorge became the first National Place of Scenic Beauty to be designated in Iwate, in 1925.

The Yugendo cave is further north, 2km from the Geibikei gorge. This cave was discovered fairly recently in 1980, but the strata of its walls are 350 million years old. Stalactites, fossils and underground lakes have been found in this prehistoric cave.

Please also visit these places of beautiful natural scenery along with Hiraizumi.



Tourism and Commerce Division, Hiraizumi Town Hall
kankou@town.hiraizumi.iwate.jp

Hiraizumi Tourism Association Facebook

【English】All about Hiraizumi #52 Mokusa swords

The Mokusa swords are a type that was made in the Mokusa area in present Ichinoseki City and are considered to be the original Japanese swords.

Warriors of the Tohoku region in the 8th century used Warabite swords, a type of sword which had a curved blade and a hilt shaped like a spiral bracken shoot, designed to be handled by a horsemen in a cavalry battle.
Then in the late Heian period, Mokusa swords were produced. These were a direct descendant of the Warabite swords. Mokusa swords supported the military power of the Oshu Fujiwara clan and were even popular among the aristocrats in Kyoto. They are believed to have strongly influenced the production of Japanese swords.
When the Oshu Fujiwara clan fell, the Mokusa sword-smiths also declined. Today there are very few Mokusa swords existing.

Mr. Taira Sugawara produces iron by himself using iron sand from the Satetsu (iron sand) River that flows in Ichinoseki City, and has worked for many years reproducing Mokusa swords.
He was the only master swordsmith to have been selected by the National Museum of Japanese Histories when they held an experiment on iron production.

The Mokusa sword produced by Mr. Sugawara shines brightly as if it represents the prosperity of the Oshu Fujiwara period.


Tourism and Commerce Division, Hiraizumi Town Hall
kankou@town.hiraizumi.iwate.jp

Hiraizumi Tourism Association Facebook

新緑の猊鼻渓　日本百景　Geibikei gorge in fresh green

岩手県一関市にある猊鼻渓。日本百景のひとつ。
猊鼻渓は、北上川支流の砂鉄川沿いに、高さ50ｍを超える石灰岩の岸壁が、およそ2ｋｍにわたって続く渓谷。
Geibikei gorge in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture. One of Japan's 100 views.
Geibikei gorge is a valley in which a limestone quay exceeding 50 m in height continues for approximately 2 km along Satetsu River in the Kitakami River branch.