North Miyazaki · TakachihoNo.532★★★Open in map →
Takachiho Gorge
A V-shaped canyon in northern Miyazaki where the Gokase River has cut through columnar rock left by Mount Aso. Manai Falls drops into the middle of it, and the promenade along the rim is free and open.
- FromNobeoka Station
- ~1 h 30 minBus from Nobeoka, then taxi
- Get off atTakachiho Bus Center (Miyazaki Kotsu)
- From there
- Takachiho Gorge
Where it is
18 more notes in Miyazaki · open the map →What to look for
- Manai Fallsa 17-metre cascade into the gorge, listed among Japan's 100 notable waterfalls
- The rental boat dockthe launch point below the falls, reachable only with an advance online booking
- Tamadare Fallsa spring-fed fall at the Mishioi end, feeding the freshwater aquarium beside it
- Oniyatsu no Chikaraishia boulder beside the promenade, named for Oniyatsu of Takachiho legend
- Sandan-bashia stone arch, a steel arch and a concrete arch crossing the gorge at three heights
How to actually get there
- Nobeoka Station → Takachiho Bus Center (Miyazaki Kotsu route bus, about 1 h 30 min).
- Takachiho Bus Center → Takachiho Gorge by taxi (about 8 minutes by car, per the prefectural tourism site).
- Walk the promenade from the Mishioi end, past Tamadare Falls, to Manai Falls.
- Board a rental boat only if you booked online beforehand, then take a taxi back up to the bus center.
- Route bus from Nobeoka Station
- Nobeoka Station →(Miyazaki Kotsu route bus, about 1 h 30 min)→ Takachiho Bus Center. From the bus center the prefectural tourism site gives about 8 minutes by car, so finish the trip in a taxi. Nobeoka is on the JR Nippo Line and is the practical rail gateway, because Takachiho itself has had no railway since the local line closed.
- Return from Takachiho Bus Center
- Take a taxi back up to the bus center and catch the Nobeoka bus from there. Departures are spaced out rather than frequent, so read the board when you arrive and settle your return before you walk down to the river. The Kumamoto and Fukuoka coaches use the same terminal.
About the place
The gorge lies at Takachiho, in the mountains near Miyazaki's northern edge. Pyroclastic flows from Mount Aso cooled here into the vertical columns known as columnar jointing, and the Gokase River then cut down through them into a V-shaped canyon. The cliffs average 80 metres and reach 100 metres at their highest, and the formation continues about 7 kilometres from east to west. A promenade of roughly 1 kilometre is laid along the most concentrated stretch. Walking it costs nothing and needs no booking, which makes it the half of a Takachiho visit you can actually rely on.
How to enjoy it
Boat slots open on the reservation site two weeks before the date at 9:00, and phone bookings are not taken, so fix the date before anything else. Whether boats run at all depends on the river level, and the operator posts the day's status each morning at around 8:00. The promenade is tied to none of that and is worth the trip even on a day the boats stay tied up.
Background & history
The rock itself is volcanic. Pyroclastic flows from Mount Aso settled here, cooled fast enough to split into vertical columns, and the Gokase River spent a long time cutting down through them. In 1934 the canyon was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument under the name Gokasegawa Gorge. In 1965 it was taken into Sobo-Katamuki Quasi-National Park as well. Both designations cover the canyon as a landform, not a single viewpoint.
Before you go
- Cash
- The promenade costs nothing. Rental boats are charged separately and booked through the operator's reservation site, where the fee calendar is published. On designated busy days the shuttle to the gorge is 300 yen for junior-high age and above and 200 yen for primary-school children, cash only.
- Before you go
- Boat operation follows the river level, and high water suspends it outright. The promenade runs beside the water with drops alongside it, so heavy rain and typhoon days are not the day for this one.
- Another way
- From Kumamoto the Takachiho-go express coach reaches Takachiho Bus Center in about 3 hours; it runs once a day and requires a reservation. From Fukuoka the Gokase-go coach serves the same terminal.
- After you get off
- The gorge lies downhill to the southwest of Takachiho Bus Center, and taxis wait at the terminal. On designated peak days private cars are held back and a shuttle links the No. 3 Ohashi parking lot with the Takachiho Gorge Freshwater Aquarium, running 8:30 to 17:00 every 20 to 30 minutes.