#Geibi-Gorge

[beautiful-jp]

日本の美しい風景 - Beautiful Japan -　「猊鼻渓（岩手県）」Geibi Gorge (Iwate)

[coyote-lovely333]

猊鼻渓・岩手県平泉町

Geibi Gorge • Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture

2024/10

[bcause-ph-sns]

📸 Discover the Serenity of Geibi Gorge River Boat Ride in Iwate! 🌿🛶

Escape into nature and experience the tranquility of the Geibi Gorge River Boat Ride in Iwate. Glide through the crystal-clear waters, surrounded by towering cliffs and breathtaking autumn foliage 🍁 or serene snow-covered landscapes ❄️. This traditional boat ride offers an authentic, peaceful journey led by skilled boatmen who sing local folk songs, adding a touch of culture to the beauty of nature. Whether you're visiting in the vibrant fall or peaceful winter, Geibi Gorge is an unforgettable experience! 🌊✨

👉 Perfect for nature lovers and adventurers alike! 📍 Located in Iwate Prefecture – easily accessible from Tokyo! 📅 Plan your visit today and embrace Japan's hidden gem.

[trivia-jp]

猊鼻渓（げいびけい） 岩手の名所

猊鼻渓（げいびけい）は、岩手県盛岡市にある美しい渓谷で、自然の造形美や清流が特徴的な観光地です。以下に猊鼻渓の特徴と魅力を紹介します。 1. 奇岩怪石の景観 猊鼻渓は、川沿いに立ち並ぶ奇岩や怪石が美しい渓谷景観を作り出しています。特にその岩肌の形状が猿の鼻に似ていることから「猊鼻（げいび）」と呼ばれています。 2. 清流と滝 清流が続く渓谷には多くの滝や流れがあり、その水の音や流れる美しさが自然の息吹を感じさ��ます。 3. 季節の景色 四季折々の景色が美しく、特に秋には紅葉が一面を彩り、訪れる観光客を魅了します。 4. 遊歩道と展望台 猊鼻渓沿いに整備された遊歩道や展望台から、渓谷の美しい景色を眺めることができます。 5. アクティビティ 散策や写真撮影、自然観察、季節ごとのイベントなど、訪れる人々が様々なアクティビティを楽しむことができます。

♪♫♬🎤🎹🎶♪♫♬🎤🎹🎶♪♫♬🎤🎹🎶♪♫♬🎤🎹🎶

Geibikei Gorge Iwate attractions

Geibi Gorge is a beautiful valley in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, and is a tourist destination characterized by its beautiful natural formations and clear streams. Below we will introduce the characteristics and charms of Geibikei. 1. Landscape of strange rocks and stones Geibikei Gorge creates a beautiful valley landscape with strangely shaped rocks and strange stones that line the river. In particular, it is called ``Geibi'' because the shape of the rock surface resembles a monkey's nose. 2. Clear stream and waterfall There are many waterfalls and streams in the valley where the clear stream continues, and the sound of the water and the beauty of flowing water will make you feel the breath of nature. 3. Seasonal scenery The scenery is beautiful in all seasons, especially in the fall when the autumn leaves fill the area with color, attracting tourists. 4. Promenade and observation deck You can enjoy beautiful views of the valley from the promenade and observation deck built along Geibikei Gorge. 5. Activities Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities, including walking, photography, nature observation, and seasonal events.

[people-of-iwate]

Miyuki Chiba of Ichinoseki City Ms. Chiba became the first ever female boat captain for the boat tours at Geibi Gorge. She prides herself on taking passengers for a smooth ride every time, whether the waters are choppy or calm. She also has a fantastic set of lungs; don’t miss her traditional folk song on the way back!

“I started working in the office at Geibi Gorge when I finished high school, so I always saw people in great spirits after finishing their boat rides. My boss used to talk about how nice if we had a female boat captain, since there never had been one before. Once, I blurted out, “I wonder if I could become a captain.” And my boss told me if I was serious, he’d discuss it with the higher-ups. They thought about it, and I was eventually able to become a captain. I admit, in the beginning, I was a little worried whether I could do it or not. Most days the river is pretty gentle, but as I began training, there’d be days where the river would overflow, or there’d be strong winds. It’s physical labor. The captains had always been men, and I only really understood how rough it is once I actually became a captain myself. But my colleagues were great; they trained me and followed up with me. Now there are three female captains. I’m still pretty new at this myself, so I wouldn’t say I’m their leader, but I do feel like we’re in this together. But we’re not any different from the male captains. All of the men here care just as much about the customers and doing their best.”

Ms. Chiba, paddling up the river

“There aren’t many jobs where you get people cheering you on, telling you to do your best. People take photos and send them to me. I get a lot of goodwill, and I think that’s pretty rare in a job. But we always have to make sure the passenger is having a good time. Sometimes you have days where the winds are blowing at you as you make your way up the river. If you don’t really use your strength, the boat is going to be washed down the river the other way. Sometimes I’m huffing and puffing to try to get us going. But in the end, there are a lot of (motorized) boat tours in Japan, yet very few where the boat is made of wood with a very traditional feeling. You can only find this in Geibi.”

Learn more! About Geibi Gorge A video of our trip to Geibi Gorge Another video of a trip a few years ago – with Ms. Chiba singing this time!

[tokidokitokyo]

岩手県

Japanese Prefectures: Tohoku - Iwate

都道府県 (とどうふけん) - Prefectures of Japan

Learning the kanji and a little bit about each of Japan’s 47 prefectures!

Kanji・漢字

岩　いわ、ガン　boulder, rock; cliff

手　て、た、シュ、ズ　hand

県　ケン　prefecture

東北　とうほく　north-east, Tōhoku (northernmost six prefectures of Honshu)

Prefectural Capital (県庁所在地) : Morioka (盛岡市)

Iwate prefecture, the second-largest prefecture in Japan, located in northeastern Honshu, is dominated by the central Kitakami Mountains and the rugged, scenic shoreline along the eastern coast. In addition to ski resorts and hot springs in the snowy winter, stunning rock formations are just some of the natural wonders found in this rugged terrain. Caves, mountains, and beaches offer stunning views and the mild summers are perfect for hiking. Traditional folklore and the samurai history of the prefecture are preserved in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Wagyu beef, rice, and sake are also some of the best in Japan. The natural beauty and lowest population density of any prefecture on the island of Honshu make Iwate a perfect place to get off the beaten path and explore.

Recovery and Development

Iwate was one of the prefectures heavily affected by the 3.11 (2011) earthquake and subsequent tsunami, primarily along the coastline. However, the large area of the prefecture means that the prefectural capital of Morioka is as far from Fukushima as Tokyo. Since the 2011 disaster, Japan’s newest national park (Sanriku Fukko National Park), the country’s longest hiking trail, and two World Heritage Sites have been added in the prefecture. Numerous festivals are also held throughout the year in this region off the beaten path.

Recommended Tourist Spot・おすすめ観光スポット Geibi Gorge - Geibi Kei - 猊鼻渓

Photo by Iwate Prefecture

Traditional flat-bottom wooden boats offer a relaxing 90-minute float trip through the 2-km stunning Geibi Gorge on the Satetsu River. These boats were once used to transport horses and are still made by local carpenters. A long pole is used by the boatman/boatwoman to steer the boat, and the boats operate year-round. 100-m-high cliffs, ravines, waterfalls, caves, and other stunning rock formations can be seen in the changing seasonal panoramas. The boat driver will serenade passengers with the Geibi Oiwake folk song and you may feel transported into a different time.

Regional Cuisine - 郷土料理

Wanko Soba - わんこそば

Photo from JapanTravel

Noodles are very popular in Iwate prefecture. Wanko soba is a signature noodle dish of Iwate prefecture. Small bowls of soba are served, then eaten quickly before another bowl is served, and bowl after bowl is served until the customer has had enough and places a lid on the bowl to indicate they are finished. The pile of bowls showcases just how much the customer has eaten. About 10-15 bowls of wanko soba equals about one regular serving of soba, but the national record is over 500 bowls. The dish came from the hospitality of locals, who wanted diners to enjoy as much of the freshly boiled noodles as they could eat. There are a variety of condiments that you can enjoy with the noodles.

Iwate Dialect・Iwate-ken no Hougen・岩手県の方言

Iwate has at least 2 separate dialects which also overlap with some neighboring prefectures, so the following examples are general Iwate dialect phrases.

んだべ (n’dabe)

Standard Japanese: そうでしょう (sou deshou) English: Isn’t that right?

いがった (igatta)

Standard Japanese: よかった (yokatta) English: I’m glad, that’s good

まめすくてあんすたか (mame sukute ansutaka)

Standard Japanese: お元気でしたか (ogenki deshita ka) English: How have you been?

Example Sentence - んだべ

Iwate Dialect:  A:「このお餅、美味しいですね！」B:「んだべ！」 A:「Kono obento, oishii desu ne! 」B:「N’dabe! 」

Standard Japanese: A:「このお餅、美味しいですね！」B:「そうでしょう！」 A:「Kono obento, oishii desu ne! 」B:「Sou deshou! 」

English:  A: “This bentou is delicious, isn’t it!” B: “It is, isn’t it?”

[nipponrama]

Geibi Gorge https://www.instagram.com/p/Bewk5VvDbz7/

[mrbrown]

Geibiki in Winter. #Iwate #Japan. _____ #travel #mrbrowntravels #mrbrowninJapan (at Geibi Gorge)

[people-of-iwate]

Kazuro Sato of Ichinoseki City Mr. Sato has been working at Geibi Gorge since 1989. Since he had done carpentry work before, he asked if he couldn’t help build the boats as well, and so now he builds these massive boats that can take up to 70 people up and down the Satetsu River.

“These boats last about ten years. But the materials have gotten much better, and our craft evolves with time, so some boats will last 13, 14, even 15 years. If you were to have them built by an outside contractor, they’d be very expensive. But we build them here (smiles). We had a typhoon strike here in 2002, and ended up losing 7 or 8 boats. We couldn’t rebuild all the boats ourselves so we had to ask a place in Kesennuma that builds Japanese traditional boats. One boat cost 3 million yen. That’s the kind of boats we’re building here. My favorite part about making the boats is that there is meaning to the work. I made the boats with my bare hands, and then I paddle with my bare hands. Riding in a newly-constructed boat… I mean, it’s just like a new car. It’s a refreshing feeling. And that I can show the passengers around in a boat that I made… it’s a wonderful thing. You don’t get that every day.” 

One of the traditional boats worked on by Mr. Sato

“What’s fun about being a captain? Well, what are our passengers looking for? A good trip, looking at pretty scenery. They’ve come here for a good time, so I try to give them that. If we’re not having fun, our customers won’t have fun. If the captain is in a bad mood, then the customers won’t feel very good, will they? But there’s lots of people out there. Some people just want to watch the passing gorge peacefully, without any chatter. Some want you to make a good time for everyone. As you set out, you have to gauge your passengers’ mood and what they want. That’s a tough part, even if it is fun. There are a lot of places to see in Japan, and a lot of boat rides out there, but at Geibi Gorge, we have a quiet river with pretty scenery, and a captain that sings live for you – there’s no other place in Japan where you can experience that.”

Learn more! About Geibi Gorge A video of our trip to Geibi Gorge

[people-of-iwate]

One year ago, we started traveling around Iwate Prefecture to get to know some of the fine people who live here. It has been a whirlwind – from riding on boats down in Geibi Gorge, learning about stargazing from experts in Ofunato, and learning about the Miyako dialect through illustrations from a local artist.

There are a lot of different people in this little-known region of northern Japan, but what ties them all together is their warmth, openness, and their love for Iwate.

We’ve had a great year, and hope to have many more. Thanks for reading. 

Check out some of the interviews you might have missed since January: (For an archive of July 2017-December 2017 posts, click here) Ofunato ・Hirofumi Ogawa and his revolutionary Sanma ramen ・Toru Niinuma who’s planning ways for the port to be used for the International Linear Collider project ・Toru Suzuki, also hard at work on the ILC ・Tetsu Yoshida who became a pillar of strength for his coworkers at the Sanriku Railway after the 2011 disaster ・Toru Hiji, director of the newly-developed Kyassen shopping center (& part 2)

Sumita ・Sioned Huws and her work with the local Shishi Odori dance group (& part 2)

Oshu ・Tomoko Kosaka, who markets goods produced by farmers ・Dean Ruetzler, with twenty years of great memories living in the region (& part 2) ・Daigo Fujinami, a monk at Kokuseki-ji Temple and Japanese language teacher ・Lina Sakai, who developed a process to ferment Iwate rice into ethanol for cosmetic use ・Akira Kamei, a civil servant at the Oshu City government who spend an amazing two years in Australia ・Anna Thomas, Oshu City’s secret weapon to getting the ILC project

Miyako ・Kumiko Motoda, a tour guide specializing in disaster education ・Eri Omi, who draws cute illustrations for Miyako projects ・Yukie Moriiwa, Eri’s sister who has taken the lead growing their illustration business ・Manami Shimizu, who blogs for the Eri and Yukie’s business ・Seika Utsunomiya, the first female train conductor in the Sanriku Railway ・Akira Hayakawa, head of an NPO dedicated to developing a sense of civic responsibility in area high school students ・Yosuke Sasaki, nature guide and Jodogahama expert

Ichinoseki ・Miyuki Chiba, first female boat captain at the Geibi gorge ・Kazuro Sato, boat captain and boat builder