Kankakei Gorge
Kankakei Gorge
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小豆島倶楽部 編集部／JAPAN Shodoshima club
Shodo-shima, Japan99 contributions
Sep 2024 • Solo
In 1934 (Showa 9), Kankakei and the surrounding Seto Inland Sea area were among the first sites designated as a national park in Japan.
This year marks the 90th anniversary of that designation. Nowadays, visitors from all over the world come to see the stunning rock formations, the sky, and the sea.
Efforts to preserve and pass on this beautiful landscape as a cherished local treasure have been led by groups like the Kankakei-Mountain Preservation Society and many others. In 1911 (Meiji 43), as part of their initiative to promote the area’s beauty, they invited ten of Japan’s most popular Western-style painters from the "Pacific Painting Association" (now the Pacific Art Society), the first Western painting group in Japan, known for nurturing many talents. The artists stayed for about ten days, making this event not only a promotional press tour (fam tour) but also an early example of an "art festival" supporting artists in their creative endeavors.
The tour was named "Ten Artists’ Painting Trip," an episode from over a century ago.
They depicted the everyday scenes and tranquil landscapes of Setouchi and Shodoshima in oils, watercolors, pen drawings, and pencil sketches. These works were published in newspapers not only in Osaka but also in Tokyo. At the time, watercolors were a booming trend among the modern youth—both the "modern boys" and "modern girls." One of the participants, Ooka Tojiro, who was publishing the then-popular monthly watercolor magazine "Mizue" (now published as an art magazine under the name "Bijutsu Techo"), added to the buzz of the trip.
The resulting collection, "Ten Artists’ Painting Trip," was published, edited by Kosugi Misei (including, of course, Nakamura's artwork, even though he did not join the trip).
Over a hundred years ago, so many remarkable people visited Shodoshima, drawn to its charm and beauty！
(Written by Shodoshima Club EDITORIAL ROOM)
1934年（昭和9年）、寒霞渓を中心とした瀬戸内海一円が日本の国立公園として最初に指定されてから90年。今や、世界からこの奇岩と空と海の絶景を観に、多くの人が訪れています。この風景を、大切な郷土の宝物として、保全し末永く伝えていこうと、「神懸山保勝会」をはじめ、多くの人が尽力してきました。その神懸山保勝会の皆さんが寒霞渓のすばらしさを伝えようとした活動の一環で、1911年（明治43年）に、日本で初めての洋画団体でその後数々の英才奇才を輩出してきた「太平洋画会」（現在は太平洋美術会）の当世きっての人気洋画家10名を小豆島に招きました。そのツアー名は、「十人写生旅行」！滞在は約10日。今盛んに世間へPRを兼ねておこなわれているプレスツアー（ファムツアー）であり、また芸術家を招致し作品創りを支援する「芸術祭」の先駆けです。小豆島を愛する先人たちは、（たぶん日本初かも）いち早く先進的で洒落た形でこの郷土の風景を世界に向けてPRしていたんです。
１０人とは、当初、中村不折、河合新蔵、大下藤次郎、鹿子木孟郎、満谷国四郎、高村眞夫、吉田博、中川八郎、小杉未醒、石井柏亭。中村不折画伯は、実際には不参加。その理由は「小豆島は前に2回も行ったし、最近体が調子悪いから、やめとくわ。もし画集とか出すなら後で参加するわ」ということで、実際は９人（笑）。油絵、水彩画、ペン画、鉛筆画などで瀬戸内・小豆島の日常と心癒される風景が当時の大人気洋画メンバーの指先から描かれ、大阪はもちろん、東京の新聞に掲載。当時のモダンボーイ、モダンガールでは水彩画ブーム真っ只中。この旅行には、当時の大人気水彩画月刊誌「みずゑ」（現在は美術手帖別冊として発行）を発行していた大下藤次郎も参加するとあって、いわゆるバズった（！）わけです。その後、参加した小杉未醒によって編集され『十人写生旅行』と発行されました。（もちろん旅行に参加しなかった中村画伯の絵もちゃんと入ってます。）この本の発行が日本初の国立公園としての機運を高めていくきっかけになりました、いまから100年以上前の日本のエピソードです。
現在、2024年。テクノロジーが進み、画材はスマホに…。
僕らも彼ら10人に想いを馳せて、シャッポをかぶり、写生旅行とシャレこみます（笑）：小豆島倶楽部 編集部
This year marks the 90th anniversary of that designation. Nowadays, visitors from all over the world come to see the stunning rock formations, the sky, and the sea.
Efforts to preserve and pass on this beautiful landscape as a cherished local treasure have been led by groups like the Kankakei-Mountain Preservation Society and many others. In 1911 (Meiji 43), as part of their initiative to promote the area’s beauty, they invited ten of Japan’s most popular Western-style painters from the "Pacific Painting Association" (now the Pacific Art Society), the first Western painting group in Japan, known for nurturing many talents. The artists stayed for about ten days, making this event not only a promotional press tour (fam tour) but also an early example of an "art festival" supporting artists in their creative endeavors.
The tour was named "Ten Artists’ Painting Trip," an episode from over a century ago.
They depicted the everyday scenes and tranquil landscapes of Setouchi and Shodoshima in oils, watercolors, pen drawings, and pencil sketches. These works were published in newspapers not only in Osaka but also in Tokyo. At the time, watercolors were a booming trend among the modern youth—both the "modern boys" and "modern girls." One of the participants, Ooka Tojiro, who was publishing the then-popular monthly watercolor magazine "Mizue" (now published as an art magazine under the name "Bijutsu Techo"), added to the buzz of the trip.
The resulting collection, "Ten Artists’ Painting Trip," was published, edited by Kosugi Misei (including, of course, Nakamura's artwork, even though he did not join the trip).
Over a hundred years ago, so many remarkable people visited Shodoshima, drawn to its charm and beauty！
(Written by Shodoshima Club EDITORIAL ROOM)
1934年（昭和9年）、寒霞渓を中心とした瀬戸内海一円が日本の国立公園として最初に指定されてから90年。今や、世界からこの奇岩と空と海の絶景を観に、多くの人が訪れています。この風景を、大切な郷土の宝物として、保全し末永く伝えていこうと、「神懸山保勝会」をはじめ、多くの人が尽力してきました。その神懸山保勝会の皆さんが寒霞渓のすばらしさを伝えようとした活動の一環で、1911年（明治43年）に、日本で初めての洋画団体でその後数々の英才奇才を輩出してきた「太平洋画会」（現在は太平洋美術会）の当世きっての人気洋画家10名を小豆島に招きました。そのツアー名は、「十人写生旅行」！滞在は約10日。今盛んに世間へPRを兼ねておこなわれているプレスツアー（ファムツアー）であり、また芸術家を招致し作品創りを支援する「芸術祭」の先駆けです。小豆島を愛する先人たちは、（たぶん日本初かも）いち早く先進的で洒落た形でこの郷土の風景を世界に向けてPRしていたんです。
１０人とは、当初、中村不折、河合新蔵、大下藤次郎、鹿子木孟郎、満谷国四郎、高村眞夫、吉田博、中川八郎、小杉未醒、石井柏亭。中村不折画伯は、実際には不参加。その理由は「小豆島は前に2回も行ったし、最近体が調子悪いから、やめとくわ。もし画集とか出すなら後で参加するわ」ということで、実際は９人（笑）。油絵、水彩画、ペン画、鉛筆画などで瀬戸内・小豆島の日常と心癒される風景が当時の大人気洋画メンバーの指先から描かれ、大阪はもちろん、東京の新聞に掲載。当時のモダンボーイ、モダンガールでは水彩画ブーム真っ只中。この旅行には、当時の大人気水彩画月刊誌「みずゑ」（現在は美術手帖別冊として発行）を発行していた大下藤次郎も参加するとあって、いわゆるバズった（！）わけです。その後、参加した小杉未醒によって編集され『十人写生旅行』と発行されました。（もちろん旅行に参加しなかった中村画伯の絵もちゃんと入ってます。）この本の発行が日本初の国立公園としての機運を高めていくきっかけになりました、いまから100年以上前の日本のエピソードです。
現在、2024年。テクノロジーが進み、画材はスマホに…。
僕らも彼ら10人に想いを馳せて、シャッポをかぶり、写生旅行とシャレこみます（笑）：小豆島倶楽部 編集部
Written October 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jameshuang
Taipei, Taiwan2,002 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
Kankakei Gorge (寒霞溪) is located in the center of the Shodo Island (Shodoshima, 小豆島) of Kagawa, Japan. Kankakei is known as one of the three most beautiful gorges in Japan, along with Mt. Myogi (妙義山) in the Kanto region (關東) and Yabakei Gorge (耶馬溪) in Kyushu (九州). Kankakei Gorge is situated between the peaks of Mt. Hoshigajo and Utsukushi-no-hara Highland and was formed over a period of more than 2 million years. Extraordinary landscapes of unusually shaped rocks and stones can be seen on the southern side where the gorge is particularly deep (formed by intense volcanic activity and shaped by the wind and rain). Kankakei Gorge was included in the Setonaikai National Park (瀨戶內海國立公園) established on March 16, 1934. It is the first national park designated in Japan.
Kankakei Gorge was the only natural destination we visited at Shodo Island. It is quite easy to access its top via the Kankakei Ropeway, car and if you like hiking, the trail. The paved road can reach both stations of the ropeway. The parking lot is not so far away from the Kankakei Ropeway station. We were surprised to see some of the tall maple trees had red leaves, which are normally seen during autumn, when we visited in late May. Later we learned that not all maple leaves turn red in autumn. It took us 5 minutes via the ropeway to reach the upper station. The view was stunning with the deep canyon beneath and the Uchinomi Bay (內海灣) of the Seto Inland Sea (瀨戶內海) as the background. The greenish plant with the rocky cliffs encouraged us to take many photos during the ride. Once we were on the top station, we had lunch at the nearby restaurant. There is an observation platform less than 100 m (328 ft) from the restaurant. From here we saw the Kusakabe Port and the city below with the Shikoku (四國) in the distance. There is another viewing location, Takatori Viewing Platform (鷹取展望台), at the other side of the ropeway station. Here we could see the same scene from a different angle. It was a pity we did not come during the autumn to admire its beauty for the reason it won the title - one of the three most beautiful gorges in Japan.
There is a public transportation from Kusakabe Port, but there are only 4 buses daily to the lower ropeway station. Be sure to check the schedule before you go because the service is not year round. Kankakei Gorge attracts many visitors, particularly hikers and naturists, especially in autumn with its fall foliage.
Kankakei Gorge was the only natural destination we visited at Shodo Island. It is quite easy to access its top via the Kankakei Ropeway, car and if you like hiking, the trail. The paved road can reach both stations of the ropeway. The parking lot is not so far away from the Kankakei Ropeway station. We were surprised to see some of the tall maple trees had red leaves, which are normally seen during autumn, when we visited in late May. Later we learned that not all maple leaves turn red in autumn. It took us 5 minutes via the ropeway to reach the upper station. The view was stunning with the deep canyon beneath and the Uchinomi Bay (內海灣) of the Seto Inland Sea (瀨戶內海) as the background. The greenish plant with the rocky cliffs encouraged us to take many photos during the ride. Once we were on the top station, we had lunch at the nearby restaurant. There is an observation platform less than 100 m (328 ft) from the restaurant. From here we saw the Kusakabe Port and the city below with the Shikoku (四國) in the distance. There is another viewing location, Takatori Viewing Platform (鷹取展望台), at the other side of the ropeway station. Here we could see the same scene from a different angle. It was a pity we did not come during the autumn to admire its beauty for the reason it won the title - one of the three most beautiful gorges in Japan.
There is a public transportation from Kusakabe Port, but there are only 4 buses daily to the lower ropeway station. Be sure to check the schedule before you go because the service is not year round. Kankakei Gorge attracts many visitors, particularly hikers and naturists, especially in autumn with its fall foliage.
Written July 15, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jamie575
Singapore, Singapore1,283 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
December is not the best time to visit the gorge. Come in autumn or spring when the flowers are blooming or when the leaves are in a rich tapestry of red, and yellow. Ride the cable car up and down to photograph the colours. There’s a gift shop and local produce shop at the top.
Written December 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
luneriel
Villeurbanne, France137 contributions
Nov 2017 • Couples
So i put 3 stars but hesitated a lot.
If it would have been for the island, the astonished view and the color of the trees it would have been definitively a 5 stars no doubt!
BUT we had the worse day in shodoshima in a month because it is not an easy island to freely visit and it is overwhelmed by chinese buses that continually arrive and result in huge queue. Ok normlly it is notna problem but you have 3 buses olive that make the island turn and very few buses toncirculate which make everything rushh since you have queue and then we needed to run to take the ropeway before the bus leave and we needed to rush tonbe av’entonget in the bus. Everything is so complicated for us, all bus timetable are kanjis and hard tondecript even for japonese. Then you are far from everything so hard to go for dinner or else. We didnt eat at lunch because there were nowhere to go even convini! We also had to walk back to hotel in the dark ..... in the wind...
So my advice:
- have 2 nights there (we had only one so rush was even bigger)
- rent a car
- prepare well your travel and book shoyu factory in advance
- take an organized trip
If it would have been for the island, the astonished view and the color of the trees it would have been definitively a 5 stars no doubt!
BUT we had the worse day in shodoshima in a month because it is not an easy island to freely visit and it is overwhelmed by chinese buses that continually arrive and result in huge queue. Ok normlly it is notna problem but you have 3 buses olive that make the island turn and very few buses toncirculate which make everything rushh since you have queue and then we needed to run to take the ropeway before the bus leave and we needed to rush tonbe av’entonget in the bus. Everything is so complicated for us, all bus timetable are kanjis and hard tondecript even for japonese. Then you are far from everything so hard to go for dinner or else. We didnt eat at lunch because there were nowhere to go even convini! We also had to walk back to hotel in the dark ..... in the wind...
So my advice:
- have 2 nights there (we had only one so rush was even bigger)
- rent a car
- prepare well your travel and book shoyu factory in advance
- take an organized trip
Written November 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sean Seungwon J
Tokyo, Japan254 contributions
Oct 2018 • Family
Nice view of rock mountain on the way of going up. Great view of the islands from the top. We took the rope way and enjoyed walking around in the top of the mountain.
Written October 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
markboyle86
Weybridge, UK33 contributions
Jun 2012 • Couples
Nothing much to recommend this except that if you are looping the island it will invariably on your route. There are a lot of cablecar based attractions in Japan like Miyajima and Hakone etc. This is merely somewhere among them. A nice view of the gorge, but certainly not the 4-5 star attraction that the Japanese reviews suggest it to be.
Written June 27, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hfot2 🌸🍁🌸
Vermont7,691 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
We took the ropeway up and walked down which like to do in places such as this. We get two different experiences and two different views of everything. There is a separate review of the ropeway experience with its rock formations and colorful trees. There are two trails down, we took the longer western trail because it ended up right at the bus stop below the ropeway station.
We visited a few days before peak, though the Tourist Information Center told us the gorge was at peak. The colors were good, but by no means great. Some of the best color on the top was behind the toilet block which is worth a visit if only for its interesting design. The viewpoint east of the station also had some of the best color we saw on the summit. The view out to the coast was quite nice but we came for color not distant panoramas.
The summit was rather disappointing. Its main purpose seemed to be accommodating loads of tourist buses whose passengers wanted to shop, buy souvenirs or plants, and eat. There were a few lookout viewpoints which we searched out. We arrived early in the morning. As the morning progressed the place got more and more crowded.
The walk down was pretty exciting, with views of contorted and bizarre volcanic rock. There are many places where one could get mind blowing shots but some of the viewpoints looked very dangerous. We stuck to the path for most of the way down. There are signs, Japanese only, with photos of what can be seen in the rock formations if you look in the right direction. It took us a while to figure the signs out. The walk down was perhaps the best part of the visit. It took us an hour and 45 minutes to get to the bottom but we stopped for photography.
Once you return to the bottom, check the posted bus schedule and get in line. The line formed quickly beginning about a half hour before the bus was scheduled to arrive. There is only so much room on each bus, even with people standing, those at the back of the line had to wait for the next bus. We took turns holding our place in line whilst the other wandered around and took more photos. There were some very nice colorful trees around the edge of the parking lot and a small stream with a bridge.
Visitor's tips - go early, bring a snack, ropeway up and walk down.
We visited a few days before peak, though the Tourist Information Center told us the gorge was at peak. The colors were good, but by no means great. Some of the best color on the top was behind the toilet block which is worth a visit if only for its interesting design. The viewpoint east of the station also had some of the best color we saw on the summit. The view out to the coast was quite nice but we came for color not distant panoramas.
The summit was rather disappointing. Its main purpose seemed to be accommodating loads of tourist buses whose passengers wanted to shop, buy souvenirs or plants, and eat. There were a few lookout viewpoints which we searched out. We arrived early in the morning. As the morning progressed the place got more and more crowded.
The walk down was pretty exciting, with views of contorted and bizarre volcanic rock. There are many places where one could get mind blowing shots but some of the viewpoints looked very dangerous. We stuck to the path for most of the way down. There are signs, Japanese only, with photos of what can be seen in the rock formations if you look in the right direction. It took us a while to figure the signs out. The walk down was perhaps the best part of the visit. It took us an hour and 45 minutes to get to the bottom but we stopped for photography.
Once you return to the bottom, check the posted bus schedule and get in line. The line formed quickly beginning about a half hour before the bus was scheduled to arrive. There is only so much room on each bus, even with people standing, those at the back of the line had to wait for the next bus. We took turns holding our place in line whilst the other wandered around and took more photos. There were some very nice colorful trees around the edge of the parking lot and a small stream with a bridge.
Visitor's tips - go early, bring a snack, ropeway up and walk down.
Written July 21, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grace B
Sydney, Australia192 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
We walked up from the ropeway as it hadn’t started raining yet and we wanted to experience the forest which is natural. Although past the prime the autumn leaves were lovely. The forest was lovely and quiet and despite all the signs we were not disturbed by inoshishi leaping out of the bush at us. When we reached the top the clouds came in, the rain started and the temperature plummeted. We decided to take the cable car down the mountain which was a great idea as it took us through the gap which was not accessible by the path. The view was amazing and the trees looked gorgeous. We were treated to a lone trumpeter at the top playing beautifully through the mist. Thanks to whoever that was.
Written December 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patricia O
amherst37 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
We didn't know where to look as up, down, out and over were all beautiful panoramas despite the relatively overcast day. While we hovered over dogwoods in blossom below, birdsongs filled the air. We never say any monkeys, but were not disappointed
Written May 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MreMargaretRiver
Perth, Australia141 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
Shodoshima is a lovely island the views from the gorge are great. Ropeway was fine and nice to find one where we were not packed in like sardines! Yes it is a short but enjoyable ride.
Written May 30, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If we can not find the bus schedule, we would like to go to the Kankakei Gorge in an organized excursion. Where can I book an organized excursion from Okayama to Shodashima? Thank you.
Written July 29, 2017
Try search the shodoshima-kotu for information.
Written July 30, 2017
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