Sandankyo Gorge: Remote Spot of Chugoku Mountains, Spectacular Valley Woven by Cliffs and Deep Pools

Sandankyo Gorge, carved by the Shibaki River as it flows through Aki-Ota Town in Yamagata District, Hiroshima Prefecture, is a long gorge extending some 16 kilometers. Designated a Place of Special Scenic Beauty by the state, it presents one deep pool, thundering waterfall and sheer cliff after another. A walking path runs along the gorge, and on some stretches you board a ferry boat to look up at the rock walls from the surface of the water.

The Name "Sandankyo" Was Given About a Century Ago

It was not so very long ago that this gorge became known to the world. According to the tourism resources database of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the photographer Kuma Nampo (1876–1943) began exploring it in 1917 (Taisho 6) and, with the cooperation of the local elementary school teacher Saito Rosui and others, revealed the whole extent of the gorge and gave it the name "Sandankyo." Recognition came quickly: in 1925 (Taisho 14) it was designated a scenic beauty under the Law for the Preservation of Historical Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monuments. Then in 1953 (Showa 28), under the newly enacted Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, it was raised to a Place of Special Scenic Beauty. Only a handful of gorges and ravines anywhere in the country hold that designation, and in western Japan Sandankyo is the only one. In 1969 the whole surrounding area was designated the Nishi-Chugoku Sanchi Quasi-National Park.

The Five Great Spectacles — Kurobuchi, Sarutobi, Nidan Falls, Sandan Falls and Mitsu Falls

The highlights of Sandankyo are known as the "Five Great Spectacles." Kurobuchi is a place ringed by sheer walls reaching 100 meters, where an emerald-green surface of water lies in mysterious silence. Sarutobi takes its name from a legend that monkeys used to leap across the tops of the sheer cliffs. Nidan Falls is called a "phantom waterfall" that cannot be seen unless you cross by the Sarutobi ferry, and Sandan Falls, where the water drops in three stages amid a 130-meter run of continuous cliffs, is the waterfall that gave the gorge its name. Farthest upstream is Mitsu Falls.

Boats operate at Kurobuchi and Sarutobi, letting you look up at the rock walls from the height of the water. The Kurobuchi ferry is 500 yen for adults and 400 yen for children, round trip. Sarutobi is a rental-boat arrangement, charged per boat for 30 minutes.

Autumn Foliage

The autumn foliage of Sandankyo Gorge is particularly beautiful, known as one of Hiroshima Prefecture's premier autumn foliage spots. The contrast of trees dyed red, yellow, and orange with the clear mountain stream is beauty worthy of being called natural art.

Practical Information

• Times for walking: Roughly 7:30 to 17:00 as a guide. There is no lighting within the gorge, so plan on the basis of getting out before sunset
• Closed sections (as of August 2026): The stretch from Sandan Falls to Shimomochinoki-guchi is closed to entry with no set date for restoration. The stretches from Kurobuchi to Mizunashi-guchi, and from Yokogawa-guchi to Yoshigahara and the Sandan Falls junction, continue to be passable only on limited dates and days of the week. Be sure to check the latest information from Aki-Ota Town or the regional trading company Aki-Ota before your visit
• Guide to the walkable sections: About 50 minutes on foot from the main entrance to Kurobuchi, and about 30 minutes from Mizunashi-guchi to Sandan Falls. The round-trip course to Kurobuchi takes about 2 hours 30 minutes; short courses are 10 to 30 minutes one way
• Kurobuchi ferry: Operating hours 10:00–16:00, closed Wednesdays and Thursdays, and also suspended in rain. The fare is 500 yen for adults and 400 yen for children, round trip
• Sarutobi rental boats: Operating hours 9:00–15:30 (last reception 15:30). 4,000 yen per boat for 30 minutes (3,000 yen during campaigns); up to three people may board one boat, at the same price regardless of the number. Operations are suspended when the water is high
• Parking: The main entrance has 500 spaces at 500 yen for ordinary cars, free for motorcycles, and free on weekdays / 1,000 yen on weekends and holidays for tour buses. Mizunashi-guchi has 200 spaces at 500 yen for ordinary cars, 300 yen for motorcycles and 2,000 yen for microbuses (large tour buses cannot enter)
• Access (by car): The main entrance is about 15 minutes from the Togouchi IC on the Chugoku Expressway, and Mizunashi-guchi about 40 minutes from the same interchange. Vehicles longer than 7 meters cannot use the road toward Mizunashi-guchi
• Access (by public transport): There are four highway buses a day toward the Sandankyo main entrance from the Hiroshima Bus Center, and one local bus a day from in front of JR Kabe Station. There is no public transport to Mizunashi-guchi
• Restrooms: There are restrooms at the main entrance, Kurobuchiso, Mizunashi-guchi and Yoshigahara
• Eating within the gorge: The only eating place is Kurobuchiso. It is reassuring to prepare snacks and drinks in advance
• Mobile phones: There are stretches within the gorge with no signal
• In rain: The walking path can still be walked, but the ferries do not run in rain. Rocky ground and wooden steps become slippery, so do not push yourself on rainy days or just after rain
• Underfoot and clothing: The walking path is unpaved and full of steps up and down. Wear comfortable, non-slip shoes. It is not suited to strollers or wheelchairs
• Best time to see it: Autumn foliage is at its best from early to late November. Early summer, with its fresh greenery, is a refreshing season as well
• Location: Aki-Ota Town, Yamagata District, Hiroshima Prefecture (the main entrance is in the Shibaki district)

Sources of Information

The number of parking spaces and fees, the ferry operating hours, closing days and fares, the locations of restrooms and the times required for the courses are drawn from the Sandankyo guide and ferry operating information of the regional trading company Aki-Ota (Aki-Ota kara). The closed sections, walking times for the passable sections, the number of bus services, the time required from the Togouchi IC, and the situation regarding lighting, eating places and mobile phone reception within the gorge are from the tourism information on Sandankyo on the Aki-Ota Town official website and the same company's notices on closed sections. The designation as a scenic beauty (1925), the designation as a Place of Special Scenic Beauty (1953), and Kuma Nampo's exploration and naming in 1917 are based on entries in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's multilingual commentary database of regional tourism resources. Because closures and ferry operations change frequently with the weather and with construction work, please check official information before setting out.