is a ravine on the Satetsu River in the city of Ichinoseki,

Iwate Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at , with a population of 1,210,534 (as of October 1, 2020). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefectur ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. It has been designated a National

Place of Scenic Beauty is a collective term used by the Japanese government's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties to denote Cultural Properties of JapanIn this article, capitals indicate an official designation as opposed to a simple definition, e.g "Cultural ...

and Natural Monument since 1923. In 1927 it was also selected as one of the 100 Landscapes of Japan.

Overview

Geibikei is located in southern Iwate Prefecture, and is approximately two kilometers long. The river is surrounded by soaring cliffs of over 50 meters in height, and peaking at 124 meters, with fanciful rock formations created by erosion and numerous waterfalls. The name “Geibi,” which means “lion nose,” comes from a

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

formation near the end of the ravine which resembles a lion's snout. Unlike the

Genbikei is a two kilometer long ravine on the Iwai River in the city of Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. It has been designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument since 1927. Overview Genbeikei is in the Kurikoma Mountains in s ...

ravine, which is also located in Ichinoseki, the Geibikei is wide enough to permit use of small boats, and thus the ravine is noted for its 90-minute boat trip up and back down the river pushed along with a pole by boatmen, who sing on the return leg of the journey. Before the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, the ravine was unknown, and the surrounding area was regarded as a near-wilderness. It was popularized by two local politicians, who invited numerous literary and political figures, including members of the aristocracy to visit the area. Geibikei is a short walk from

Geibikei Station is a railway station located in the city of Ichinoseki, Iwate, Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). History Geibikei Station opened on November 1, 1986. The station was absorbed into the JR ...

on the

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

Ofunato Line.

Gallery

げいび渓 - panoramio.jpg, Geibikei boat dock Geibi-kei (猊鼻渓) - panoramio - Ocavis Leechroot.jpg, Panorama 猊鼻渓Geibi-kei - panoramio (4).jpg, Panorama 猊鼻渓Geibi-kei - panoramio (6).jpg, Panorama

References

External links

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Iwate Prefecture tourist informationJapan Travel website
Geography of Iwate Prefecture Places of Scenic Beauty Canyons and gorges of Japan Tourist attractions in Iwate Prefecture Ichinoseki, Iwate IUCN Category III {{Iwate-geo-stub

Overview

Gallery

See also

References

External links