Kankakei Gorge

Kankakei Gorge ranks among Japan's three most beautiful gorges, a dramatic volcanic landscape of towering rock formations, dense forests, and precipitous cliffs carved by millions of years of erosion on Shodoshima Island's mountainous interior. The gorge's name translates to 'cold crag ravine,' referencing the cool temperatures that persist even during summer months in this elevated mountain environment. The most spectacular way to experience Kankakei is via the ropeway that spans the gorge, offering breathtaking aerial views as you ascend from the mountain base to the summit station at 612 meters elevation. The five-minute cable car journey provides constantly changing perspectives of the gorge's distinctive rock pillars, some reaching fifty meters in height and weathered into fantastic shapes resembling animals, mythical creatures, and human profiles. From the summit station, walking trails lead to various observation points including the Shishiiwa Lion Rock, where hiking paths wind between massive boulders and through tunnels of maple and oak forest. The views from observation decks extend across Shodoshima's mountainous spine to the Seto Inland Sea glittering below, with clear days revealing mountains on Shikoku and Honshu across the water.