Soryu Gorge

The Katsura River cuts through a 1.25-kilometer gorge carved into ancient lava from Mt. Fuji, producing walls of stone eroded into scalloped, scale-like shapes above intensely blue water. The journalist Tokutomi Soho visited in the early 20th century and named it Soryu, meaning Blue Dragon, comparing the winding form and patterned rocks to the body of a serpent. The rock itself predates the current landscape by millions of years, and the depth of the gorge reflects just how long the river has been working against it. The gorge is considered a significant site for studying erosion, where soft water has slowly won against one of the hardest volcanic rock formations in the region.