日本のトリビアまとめ #0026

猊鼻渓（げいびけい） 岩手の名所

猊鼻渓（げいびけい）は、岩手県盛岡市にある美しい渓谷で、自然の造形美や清流が特徴的な観光地です。以下に猊鼻渓の特徴と魅力を紹介します。 1. 奇岩怪石の景観 猊鼻渓は、川沿いに立ち並ぶ奇岩や怪石が美しい渓谷景観を作り出しています。特にその岩肌の形状が猿の鼻に似ていることから「猊鼻（げいび）」と呼ばれています。 2. 清流と滝 清流が続く渓谷には多くの滝や流���があり、その水の音や流れる美しさが自然の息吹を感じさせます。 3. 季節の景色 四季折々の景色が美しく、特に秋には紅葉が一面を彩り、訪れる観光客を魅了します。 4. 遊歩道と展望台 猊鼻渓沿いに整備された遊歩道や展望台から、渓谷の美しい景色を眺めることができます。 5. アクティビティ 散策や写真撮影、自然観察、季節ごとのイベントなど、訪れる人々が様々なアクティビティを楽しむことができます。

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Geibikei Gorge Iwate attractions

Geibi Gorge is a beautiful valley in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, and is a tourist destination characterized by its beautiful natural formations and clear streams. Below we will introduce the characteristics and charms of Geibikei. 1. Landscape of strange rocks and stones Geibikei Gorge creates a beautiful valley landscape with strangely shaped rocks and strange stones that line the river. In particular, it is called ``Geibi'' because the shape of the rock surface resembles a monkey's nose. 2. Clear stream and waterfall There are many waterfalls and streams in the valley where the clear stream continues, and the sound of the water and the beauty of flowing water will make you feel the breath of nature. 3. Seasonal scenery The scenery is beautiful in all seasons, especially in the fall when the autumn leaves fill the area with color, attracting tourists. 4. Promenade and observation deck You can enjoy beautiful views of the valley from the promenade and observation deck built along Geibikei Gorge. 5. Activities Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities, including walking, photography, nature observation, and seasonal events.

mid sem objects 4

Choker Necklace from great-grandmother:

My great-grandmother was born in the 15th year of the Taisho period in Japan, the very last year of that period (1926) before it changed to Showa. She unfortunately passed away at the end of last year but I heard many stories about her from my grandfather(her son). I did my research paper in my first year about Taisho design and learned about how design in Japan was revolutionised. In short summary, Taisho era art and design was significant as it was when Western culture started to become widely popularised and mixed with Japanese traditional culture. This created a unique style referred to as Taisho Roman in current days to point to the characteristic balance of the merging of Western and Japanese culture where it has a retro yet modern look. Side note, it is also crazy to think that she was alive at the same time as some of the significant Japanese Bungo novelists (mentioned in Kenshi Yonezu's section)...

Earrings from grandmother:

My grandmother on my father's side gave this to me when I was in Japan for year 9. At that point, I hadn't pierced my ears. This reminds me of my ancestors as I heard stories about her and her marriage with my grandfather who was a Korean man. My grandfather passed away when my father was 14. At her time marrying people from a foreign country was still not welcomed and I heard briefly that this led to a lot of difficulties. It astounds me that whilst all that trouble they still married and their three children led to more children like myself and my cousins. It also reminds me that my family is the only one that moved overseas and I always feel disconnected from my family in Japan. It makes me think of the miracle as well as the fragility of family relations. Now my ears are pierced and this is one of my favourite accessories to wear. I don't know what my grandmother felt giving this to me back then, I hope someday I get to know her a bit more.

Kenji Miyazawa bookmark:

I got this when I went to the souvenir shop at Geibikei Gorge in Iwate prefecture. Geibikei Gorge is one of the locations in the 100 Landscapes Japan selection from 1927 as well as being designated the National Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument since 1923. This location and Kenji Miyazawa are incredibly significant for the culture of my born prefecture in Japan. The image depicted on the bookmark is perhaps his most famous work, the Night of the Galactic Railroad. At first I was simply interested in Miyazawa because he is from the same prefecture as me, but through many other influences such as Hayao Miyazaki, Kenshi Yonezu, or Yorushika, I started taking an interest in Japanese literature. Miyazawa's works have a dreamy children's book type of atmosphere, while also being mysterious and almost creepy. His unique world in his works speaks to both children and adults. It definitely fueled my love for beautiful, nostalgic world-building and the unique atmosphere of Japanese literature.

Key of the old house in Japan:

Before I moved to New Zealand in 2010 I used to live in a tiny house located above a restaurant in Japan. This key reminds me of my grandfather whom I never met. I understand this is a sensitive topic for a lot of people if I really dig into it, but ancestry and culture is a crucial part of my creativity. My grandfather on my father's side as mentioned is Korean, and he was one of the people taken to Japan through war. We were quite poor and the house that we lived in was old and broken down. My grandfather had built the place when he was younger as he worked in a factory, the restaurant was his brother's Korean food restaurant. It's sad that I can't go back to that place anymore as the restaurant has taken over. I got this key when I was in Japan in year 9 and it was perhaps one of the hardest times of my life being in a small town as a foreigner who could barely read textbooks at school, but it's also when I started learning how to learn, to work hard for myself, and do things without being told. It's also when I actually got a chance to communicate with my family members and it felt special being back in my childhood home once again.

Picturebooks?

Other than drawing one of my favourite activities as a child was reading picture books. I've had these since being in my old home in Japan, and it's clear that I was very introverted all my life. One of the first examples of creative illustration and storytelling I had was through these picture books and I think it shows through my current interests and works the impact picturebooks has on me. Some of these are Japanese, but some are translated from foreign countries. My mother is very interested in overseas culture and arts especially those from the UK area. I think her collecting these works for us to see has fed our creativity in a unique way.

The clock on the right-hand side is from my mother who had this since she was a student. It depicts Alphonse Mucha's work on the clock face. Again, my mother was really into art culture from a young age and her influences are very prominent in my upbringing. It is said that Mucha was fond of Japanese art, backed up by the point that Art Nouveau has references to the flat, curved, and decorative nature of Japanese traditional art. Likewise, Japanese art during the Meiji era was also influenced by the style of Mucha. His style had a lasting impact on Japanese manga comics as well.

Miyuki Chiba of Ichinoseki City Ms. Chiba became the first ever female boat captain for the boat tours at Geibi Gorge. She prides herself on taking passengers for a smooth ride every time, whether the waters are choppy or calm. She also has a fantastic set of lungs; don’t miss her traditional folk song on the way back!

“I started working in the office at Geibi Gorge when I finished high school, so I always saw people in great spirits after finishing their boat rides. My boss used to talk about how nice if we had a female boat captain, since there never had been one before. Once, I blurted out, “I wonder if I could become a captain.” And my boss told me if I was serious, he’d discuss it with the higher-ups. They thought about it, and I was eventually able to become a captain. I admit, in the beginning, I was a little worried whether I could do it or not. Most days the river is pretty gentle, but as I began training, there’d be days where the river would overflow, or there’d be strong winds. It’s physical labor. The captains had always been men, and I only really understood how rough it is once I actually became a captain myself. But my colleagues were great; they trained me and followed up with me. Now there are three female captains. I’m still pretty new at this myself, so I wouldn’t say I’m their leader, but I do feel like we’re in this together. But we’re not any different from the male captains. All of the men here care just as much about the customers and doing their best.”

Ms. Chiba, paddling up the river

“There aren’t many jobs where you get people cheering you on, telling you to do your best. People take photos and send them to me. I get a lot of goodwill, and I think that’s pretty rare in a job. But we always have to make sure the passenger is having a good time. Sometimes you have days where the winds are blowing at you as you make your way up the river. If you don’t really use your strength, the boat is going to be washed down the river the other way. Sometimes I’m huffing and puffing to try to get us going. But in the end, there are a lot of (motorized) boat tours in Japan, yet very few where the boat is made of wood with a very traditional feeling. You can only find this in Geibi.”

Learn more! About Geibi Gorge A video of our trip to Geibi Gorge Another video of a trip a few years ago – with Ms. Chiba singing this time!

Geibikei Gorge: More from the tranquil early-morning river ride.

Geibikei Gorge, Iwata Prefecture

We went to Geibikei Gorge today and had a lovely time on a boat ride through some gorgeous scenery. There was also a group of school kids there and they called out in English to us. They’re being taught well.

Then we went to Takkoku no Iwaya Bishamondo which is a temple to Bishamon. It’s beautiful, too. All of Japan is, really.

Geibikei Gorge; Photos from the River Tour

Shooting in Geibikei gorge. . #猊鼻渓 #geibikeigorge (at Ichinoseki, Iwate)

The beauty of nature in Geibikei gorge, Iwate. . . . #naturephotography #naturelovers #nature_lovers #landscapephotography #travelstoke #travelphotography #travelblogger #instagramjapan #japan #japan_daytime_view #kf_gallery #omsbijapan #art_of_japan_ #daily_photo_jpn #earth_shotz #wonderfuldestinations #beautifuldestinations #liveoutdoors #visitjapanjp #landscape_captures #日本 #岩手 #旅行 #写真好きな人と繋がりたい #ファインダー越しの私の世界 #カメラ好き #自然 #retrip_nippon #lovers_nippon #placestotravel_s (at Geibikei)

Bargeman poling up Geibikei Gorge, Japan, 1987. #japan #geibikei #geibikeigorge #travelphotography #bwphoto #trixpan #kodaktrix400 #backpacking #1980s #wanderlust #oldphotos #filmphotography #nikon #nikonfm2

Kazuro Sato of Ichinoseki City Mr. Sato has been working at Geibi Gorge since 1989. Since he had done carpentry work before, he asked if he couldn’t help build the boats as well, and so now he builds these massive boats that can take up to 70 people up and down the Satetsu River.

“These boats last about ten years. But the materials have gotten much better, and our craft evolves with time, so some boats will last 13, 14, even 15 years. If you were to have them built by an outside contractor, they’d be very expensive. But we build them here (smiles). We had a typhoon strike here in 2002, and ended up losing 7 or 8 boats. We couldn’t rebuild all the boats ourselves so we had to ask a place in Kesennuma that builds Japanese traditional boats. One boat cost 3 million yen. That’s the kind of boats we’re building here. My favorite part about making the boats is that there is meaning to the work. I made the boats with my bare hands, and then I paddle with my bare hands. Riding in a newly-constructed boat… I mean, it’s just like a new car. It’s a refreshing feeling. And that I can show the passengers around in a boat that I made… it’s a wonderful thing. You don’t get that every day.” 

One of the traditional boats worked on by Mr. Sato

“What’s fun about being a captain? Well, what are our passengers looking for? A good trip, looking at pretty scenery. They’ve come here for a good time, so I try to give them that. If we’re not having fun, our customers won’t have fun. If the captain is in a bad mood, then the customers won’t feel very good, will they? But there’s lots of people out there. Some people just want to watch the passing gorge peacefully, without any chatter. Some want you to make a good time for everyone. As you set out, you have to gauge your passengers’ mood and what they want. That’s a tough part, even if it is fun. There are a lot of places to see in Japan, and a lot of boat rides out there, but at Geibi Gorge, we have a quiet river with pretty scenery, and a captain that sings live for you – there’s no other place in Japan where you can experience that.”

Learn more! About Geibi Gorge A video of our trip to Geibi Gorge

Geibikei Gorge: Our guide propelling us gently down the river by planting the end of a long stick on the river bottom and pushing off. Huge cliffs stood on either side of the river, 160m high at the highest point! At the end of the river, we walked to the wishing hole to throw some stones.

By : Jason Hill (Do not remove credits)