"Ginga no Taki" (silver-river falls),
"Ryuusei no Taki" (shooting-star falls)

Sheer cliffs in strong relief,
nature emerging so green that it dazzles...

These are Sounkyo's gorges, stretching for 24 kms along the Ishikari River. Of the many waterfalls which grace this canyon, there are two of distinction: 1) the "Ginga no Taki" (silver-river falls), where the water falls so thin and sleekly it is like a delicate white thread, and 2) "Ryuusei no Taki" (shooting-star falls), where it comes down thick and powerfully. Nicknamed "Onnadaki" (lady falls) and "Otokodaki" (gent falls), they are in the top hundred waterfalls in Japan in terms of beauty.

Sounkyo Ropeway

Breathtakingly gorgeous views

If you want to enjoy the sights of the Mount Taisetsu-san range without having to wear heavy clothes, the Ropeway is for you. If you take both the Gondola and Lift, you can go more than 2/3 up Taisetsu-san to Kuro-Dake Peak (1984 meters high). First take the Ropeway (gondola capacity 101 people) from Sounkyo Sanroku Station halfway up, look down, and you'll see a sea of trees cut only by the Ishikari River, plus continuous canyons. Look up and you'll see Kuro-Dake approach. Then take the Lift up the remaining third of the mountain for fifteen minutes. During July and August you can enjoy an unbroken carpet of mountain verdure, and view the remaining snows of winter on Taisetsu-san during the height of summer. From the beginning of November to the beginning of June there is abundant skiing.

Ice Pavillion

The beauty of dynamic snow and ice

A place where you can feel the cold of Hokkaido any time of the year. Even when it's the height of summer and 30 degrees out, you can come inside and experience a world of minus 41 degrees, surrounded by blocks and pillars of ice. Drop by and see a wonderful world of marvellous and beautiful ice.

"Espoir no Kane" Bell

Ringing in hopes every single day

"Espoir" means "hope" in French. In 1984, the Town of Kamikawa celebrated its 90th anniversary and built a lookout tower containing this bell, which rings every day every three hours from 9am. The biggest bell in Japan, it symbolizes the hopes of Kamikawa and the wide-ranging beauty of the Mount Taisetsu-san mountain range.

Agriculture Park

Where cattle graze serenely, protected by the mountains

Our livestock are raised peacefully in pastures protected by the Taisetsu-san Mountains. Our high-quality beef is the local delicacy and the pride of Kamikawa. And the world we live in--where cattle roam freely before a blissful panorama--is a pastoral scene in oils come to life.

Ukishima Shitsugen Wetlands

More than 70 marshes at a 860-meter mountain pass

Ukishima has in its vicinity more than 70 marshes of various sizes, encompassing an area of 650 meters east to west, 450 meters north to south. Ukishima is situated right in the middle, with mountain blooms competing for space during the summer. A dreamlike world of flowers, trees, and wetlands where you can lose yourself and forget your daily troubles.

"Mizubasho Koen" Park

Trumpeting the advent of springtime

Spring comes to the Taisetsu-san area from June, but nature is long making preparations before. The ancient greens of primeval forest glisten and supervise the young verdure of the nearby canyons. Most noticible are the "mizubasho" (skunk cabbage), which despite the odd name in English are lovely harbingers of approaching warmer weather. Drive your car along Route 39 and witness standing groups of this white leaflike flower commanding your attention with color. Its large bloom trumpets the happiness of spring, and sings the praises of a long-awaited spring and a summer quenched by a year of snowmelt.

The autumn colors of "Ginsendai"

A harmonious cornucopia and blend of colors

After the momentary interlude of summer, the gaudy greens of the mountains give way to the reds, yellows, and fading greens of autumn. Here is where one can view the first fall colors in Japan, threading up the mountains to reach their peak in mid-September. As the needles of conifers sprinkle lightly upon the ground, and the deciduous trees don their reds and yellows and intermingle with even more subtle colors, one wonders how to put into words the spectacle unfolding before one's eyes. Come see it for yourself.
From Sounkyo via Lake Taisetsu-sanko, 50 minutes by car along the Mount Taisetsu-san Sightseeing Road