Geibikei (Geibi Gorge)

What to know

Geibikei (猊鼻渓) is a stunning gorge located inland from Hiraizumi in Iwate Prefecture—not to be confused with the nearby Genbikei Gorge. The best way to experience it is on a calm, 90-minute flat-bottomed boat ride, guided by a boatman using a pole. Along the way, you'll enjoy beautiful natural scenery with towering cliffs and rock formations.

The boat travels about one kilometer into the gorge and back. At the turnaround point, passengers get off for 15–20 minutes to walk a few hundred meters further into the gorge. There, you can see a large rock shaped like a lion's nose, which gave the gorge its name. You can also buy small lucky stones and try to toss them into an opening in the cliff across the river.

The scenery is lovely year-round, but especially during fall foliage season (usually late October to early November) and around mid-May when wisteria blooms. Carp and ducks live in the gorge, and you can buy special snacks to feed them from the boat.

Tours depart about once per hour. Each boat holds several dozen passengers, who are asked to remove their shoes before sitting on the mat-covered floor. During the ride, the boatman gives explanations in Japanese and sings a local folk song. A few souvenir shops and restaurants are near the boat pier.

The gorge is a short walk from Geibikei Station on the JR Ofunato Line. From Hiraizumi, take the JR Tohoku Line to Ichinoseki (10 minutes, 1–2 trains per hour) and transfer to the JR Ofunato Line for Geibikei (30 minutes, every 1–2 hours). The one-way fare is 620 yen and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass, JR East Pass, and JR East South Hokkaido Pass.

From late April to late November, a few direct bus round trips run between Hiraizumi Station and Geibikei Gorge (except Tuesdays and Wednesdays). The one-way trip takes 35 minutes and costs 800 yen.