Yabakei Gorge
One of Japan's three great scenic landscapes — a 36km corridor of volcanic tuff pillars, bizarre pinnacles, and dense hardwood forest. Almost unknown outside Japan, yet the autumn foliage here rivals anything in Kyoto.
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The Hikoichi Road offers the best views of the volcanic rock formations. Visit mid-October to early November for vivid autumn foliage reflected in the Yamakuni River. Take the old road rather than the highway.
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