The Tenryu Gorge

The Tenryu River

The Tenryu River flows from Lake Suwa to the port town of Hamamatsu. It flows through the Ina Valley where it provides fertility to the land. However, as it flows further south, the geology changes and the river narrows into the Tenryu Gorge. This is where the river gets wilder and the views get intense.

The River Tenryu flowing through Tenryu Gorge

Rhyne-Kudari

Tenryu literally translates to Heavenly Dragon in English. Once known especially for its wild white water that whips like a dragon ascending to heaven. Nowadays you can enjoy traditional rafting and traditional boat trips down the river. Rhine-Kudari is one of two traditional boat operators. Two drivers operate the boat with oars and a guide explains the history and sings traditional folk songs about the Tenryu River as you ride.

A traditional *wasen* or Japanese boat that will take you down the Tenryu Gorge.

This experience feels more like a trip to Laos on the Mekong River than most places I have ever been to in Japan. And when the guides sing it really feels like a time slip. The beautiful Minyou (Japanese folk songs) combined with the rhythmic sound of the oars make this honestly slightly touristic experience into something moving and personal.

Arriving at Karasawa it doesn’t look much like Japan at all.

The boat driver will now and again throw a fishing net into the river. And often times they’ll get their catch. The next move is to call down a black kite, a common bird of prey in Japan, to dive down and catch the fish in mid-air.

The boat ride starts at Tenryu Kyo, which can be accessed by the Iida Line Train from JR. It ends at Karasawa Station on the same line. Boat times can be found here.

At Tenryu Kyo you can enjoy a lovely hike with excellent views of the gorge and the lovely red pine forest. There are Ryokan and Onsen scattered around and fruit picking as well as pottery can be experienced here too. After you have reached the end point of Karasawa Station, there is really nothing much there (like a lot of stops on this beautiful train line) you can jump on a free bus back to Tenryu Kyo or you could continue to ride this incredibly beautiful train line. Nakai Samurai is another 7 stops down which offers tea picking and a fresh tea roasting experience. I think these two items make a busy but wonderful one day itinerary.