Shosenkyo Gorge

What to know

Mitake Shosenkyo, just north of central Kofu, is one of Japan's most beautiful gorges. It is part of the Chichibu Tama Kai National Park, which covers more than 1250 square kilometers of forested mountains, valleys and some rural towns in Yamanashi, Saitama, Nagano and Tokyo prefectures.

A hiking road runs about four kilometers along the Arakawa River from Nagatoro Bridge to Sengataki Waterfall, offering beautiful scenery of the mountain river and narrow valley. Along the hike, you'll see many interestingly shaped rocks that resemble and are named after animals or objects.

The lower section of the hiking road (about 3 kilometers) from the Shosenkyo-guchi bus stop (near Nagatoro Bridge) to the Greenline Shosenkyo bus stop is paved and open to one-way motorized traffic, except on weekends from May to November, when it is reserved for pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages.

The upper section of the hiking path (about 1 kilometer) from the Greenline Shosenkyo bus stop to the top of Sengataki Waterfall leads through the most spectacular part of the gorge and includes the 30-meter-high waterfall. The gorge is especially beautiful during the autumn leaf season, which typically peaks around early to mid November.

Above the waterfall, there is a small village with souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants, and the terminal bus stop Shosenkyo Taki Ue. It is also the departure point for the Shosenkyo Ropeway, which provides access to an observation point with panoramic views of the Southern Japanese Alps and Mount Fuji on clear days.

At the southern end of the village is a shadowgraph museum that exhibits art created using cut pieces of paper and other materials placed over colored lights. Much of the shadow art is the work of one artist, and a theme of cute characters including animals and elves prevails, creating a nice atmosphere enjoyable for children. There are also rooms in the museum that host rotating exhibitions of other types of art.