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Geibikei Gorge

Kitakami River runs through Iwate north to south and branches into a tributary, Satetsu River, where the gorge stands tall. Water erosion created this 50m-tall, 100m-long bluff dotted with bizarre rocks, caves and waterfalls. The divine scene is counted as one of the 100 Scenic Places in Japan and National Historical Spot and Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument.

• Iwate
• Nature Spots

At Geibikei Gorge, the towering rock walls on both sides feel like natural barriers, pulling your gaze toward the center. The river flows quietly, with just a slight ripple on the surface. The dark water dulls the sky’s blue into a calm, cool tone. The snow on the right bank hasn’t fully melted yet, and the rocky shore looks rugged and refreshingly real.

But the most captivating part is that hint of gold in the distance—the sun hits the treetops on the mountain ridge at just the right angle, like a stage light only shining on the very last row. The valley floor is still in shadow, and that “border between cold and warm” makes time feel like it stops. It feels like a quiet moment of waiting.

Yama-Dera (Hōjusan Risshakuji Temple)

This mountain temple, of the Tendai sect of Buddhism, is properly known as “Hōjusan Risshakuji Temple.” It is a historical place, founded in 860 by Jikaku Daishi. It is believed that, with each step you take up the 1015 stone steps, your worldly desires are purged. Furthermore, it has also been worshipped since ancient times as a temple that helps to cut out bad relationships and forge good bonds.

• Yamagata
• Shrines & Temples

The gray-white sky hung low, with heavy clouds.
The distant mountains faded layer by layer into the mist, like ink spreading across paper. That kind of quiet grandeur felt even more powerful than a sunny day.

At the foot of the mountain, the little town was wrapped in snow in the gentlest way. The rooftops were neatly blanketed in white, and the river and bridges cut clean lines through the scene.
It kept the view from feeling too still, and instead gave this comforting sense that everyday life is still here.