Sounkyo

This is a gorge lined with cliffs of columnar joints continuing on for about 24 kilometers, located in the Daisetsuzan National Park in Kamikawa Town, Hokkaido. In the surrounds are the Sounkyo hot springs, one of Hokkaido’s premier hot spring areas lined with hotels and Japanese style inns. The name originates from the Ainu “sounbetsu” which means “the river with many waterfalls”, and was named in 1921 by Keigetsu Omachi. The waterfalls flowing from the cliffs—Ryusei (shooting star) and Ginga (milky way) Falls are a magnificent sight and regarded as one of the top 100 waterfalls in Japan.