Geibikei Gorge

A ravine on the Satetsu River in the city of Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture, designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument in 1923 and chosen in 1927 as one of the 100 Landscapes of Japan. Roughly two kilometres of cliffs stand over the water, rising above 50 metres and peaking at 124, cut by the river through Paleozoic limestone in the Southern Kitakami Mountains. Geibi means lion nose, after a formation near the end of the ravine. It is wide enough for small boats, and the 90-minute trip up and back is poled by boatmen, who sing on the return leg.