Sounkyo

Overview

Sounkyo is a range of gorges located in Kamikawa, Hokkaido. Situated in Daisetsuzan National Park, it stretches for about 24 kilometres of sheer cliffs along the Ishikari River. The Sounkyo hot-spring resort at the foot of the mountains is one of the largest onsen areas in Hokkaido and serves as the hub for touring the gorge and the Daisetsuzan mountains.

Highlights

• ●About 24 kilometres of sheer cliffs along the Ishikari River
• ●Gorge scenery within Daisetsuzan National Park
• ●The Sounkyo hot-spring resort, one of the largest in Hokkaido
• ●A place name derived from the Ainu word 'Souunbetsu', meaning 'the river with many waterfalls'

History

The name derives from the Ainu word 'Souunbetsu', meaning 'the river with many waterfalls'. In 1921 the poet Keigetsu Omachi named the place Sounkyo. The cliffs display columnar joints formed when pyroclastic flows from an eruption of the Daisetsuzan volcano deposited about thirty thousand years ago, later carved into high cliffs by the erosion of the gorge.

Map

43.7284, 142.9500 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Take in the roughly 24 kilometres of sheer cliffs along the Ishikari River
2. 2Observe the columnar-joint cliffs formed by volcanic activity
3. 3Explore the Sounkyo hot-spring resort area
4. 4Enjoy the nature of Daisetsuzan National Park

Did you know?

💡 In 1921 the poet Keigetsu Omachi named the place Sounkyo.

Nearby spots