Genbikei - Misplaced Pages

Ravine on the Iwai River in Japan Not to be confused with Geibikei.

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Genbikei
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)
typical panorama of Genbikei
Location of GenbikeiShow map of Iwate PrefectureGenbikei (Japan)Show map of Japan
Location	Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Coordinates	38°56′40.56″N 141°2′44.52″E / 38.9446000°N 141.0457000°E / 38.9446000; 141.0457000
Length	2 km (1.2 mi)
Established	1927
National Palace of Scenic Beauty Natural Monument

Genbikei (厳美渓) 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 a Natural Monument since 1927.

Overview

Genbeikei is in the Kurikoma Mountains in southwestern Iwate, and has been popular as a scenic spot since at least the early Edo period. The first daimyō of Sendai Domain, Date Masamune, praised this area for its scenic beauty. In August 1877, Emperor Meiji visited the ravine on his travels through the Tōhoku region, and subsequently Kōda Rohan wrote a travelogue which drew many visitors to the area.

Geologically, the ravine was formed by erosion of a thick seam of dacite tuff deposited by eruptions of Mount Kurikoma. The erosion has produced strange rock shapes, waterfalls, rapids and the formation of potholes on the river bottom.

The ravine can be reached by a bus service from Ichinoseki Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen.