Overview
Kankakei is a gorge on the island of Shodoshima in Kagawa Prefecture, designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty. Part of the Setonaikai National Park, its heights rise to about 812 meters. Celebrated for its Japanese maples, it is counted among Japan's three great scenic gorges.
Highlights
- ●A gorge named a Place of Scenic Beauty
- ●Heights rising to about 812 meters
- ●Renowned for its Japanese maple foliage
- ●One of Japan's three great scenic gorges
History
Once known by names such as Kamikakeyama, the gorge is said to have been renamed Kankakei by the scholar Fujisawa Nangaku in the early Meiji era. A preservation society was formed by volunteers in 1898 to protect the area. It was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty in 1923 and later became a signature landscape of the Setonaikai National Park.
Access
The gorge is in Shodoshima-cho, Kagawa Prefecture. Shodoshima is reached by ferry, and the gorge can be explored via trails and public transport; please check maps and official sources for detailed routes.
Best season
The prime season is autumn, when the maples turn color. Early summer's fresh greenery also offers fine views of the gorge, with the scenery changing through the seasons.
Map
34.5156, 134.3008 · Wikidata
Suggested itinerary
- 1Cross to Shodoshima by ferry
- 2Head from the base toward the gorge entrance
- 3Take in views of the gorge
- 4Gaze over the Inland Sea from the summit lookout
Did you know?
💡 The present name was coined by the scholar Fujisawa Nangaku in the early Meiji era; before that the area was known by names such as Kamikakeyama.
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