Rowing a Boat Through Takachiho Gorge

Takachiho is not easy to reach. There is no train any more — the line closed years ago — so you have to take a bus, and from Oita it took me most of the morning. I still think it was worth it.

What the gorge is

A long time ago, Mount Aso erupted and hot lava flowed into this valley. The river then cut through the cooled rock. The result is a narrow gorge with tall cliffs on both sides, and the rock has straight vertical lines in it, like somebody pressed it into shape.

In the middle, the Manai Falls drops about 17 metres straight into the water.

The boat

You can rent a small rowing boat for 30 minutes. It costs 4,100 yen for the boat, and up to three people can sit in it. You row it yourself.

I should say clearly: I am not good at rowing. My first five minutes were spent turning in a circle while other boats went past me. After that it became easier, and I got close enough to the waterfall that water landed on my shoulder.

Book online before you go. When I arrived, the same-day tickets were already finished for the afternoon.

The walking path

If you do not want to row, there is a path along the top of the gorge, about one kilometre long, and it is free. You look down at the boats from above. In some ways the view is better from up there.

The old story

Takachiho is also important in Japanese mythology. The story says the sun goddess Amaterasu hid in a cave here and the world went dark, until the other gods made her curious enough to come out. There is a shrine, Amano Iwato, that marks the place. In the evening, Takachiho Shrine performs a short version of the kagura dance that tells this story. It costs 1,000 yen and lasts about an hour.