Tachikue-kyo (Tachikue Gorge)

Tachikue is a beautiful gorge that is only about 20 minutes by car from Izumo’s urban area. The scenery is magnificent, with strangely-shaped rocks and bizarre stones rising alongside the river’s clear stream. There is a walking path in place that runs along the gorge, and you can stroll along it while enjoying the gorge’s beauty, with highlights that include observation decks, gohyaku rakan (lit. “500 stone Buddhist statues”), and Reiko-ji (Reiko Temple). Also to be found here is Tachikue Gorge Hot Spring, where you can soak in an outdoor hot spring while taking in this amazing view, and enjoy local dishes of edible wild plants and sweetfish. Massive stone pillars and cliffs line the gorge for around 2 km. At Tachikue, it is possible to enjoy gorgeous scenery in each of the four seasons. In spring, the gorge is dotted here and there with the light pink of mountain cherry blossoms. In summer, it is enveloped in vivid greens. In autumn, the bare rock faces are dyed red by the autumn foliage, and in winter, it is entirely covered with a blanket of snow.