A beautiful V-shaped valley (Otonori)

Unique and spectacular scenery viewed from a log raft

Kitayama is the only enclaved village in Japan. The Kitayama River flowing through the V-shaped valley, which has an elevation difference of more than 600m from the mountain to the river, once served as a waterway for transporting timber cut from the mountains to Shingu. Nowadays, this tradition continues in the form of “sightseeing log rafting”, with skilled rafters taking tourists down the river on rafts made of logs. “Otonori,” a spot not far from the rafting starting point, derives its name from the fact that families’ second sons, not the eldest, were chosen to ride on the log rafts because in the past, there were many accidents due to the fast-flowing current. The sight of the rafters skillfully maneuvering the rafts while avoiding rocks and reading the current is truly spectacular. On sunny days, the contrast between the beautiful emerald green color of the river and the reflection of evergreen trees covering the mountain is a pleasure for the eyes.

Let’s think about the Earth around 70 million years ago

This rafting course itself is a geosite called “Kitayamakyo.” Moreover, the valley’s strata rocks are the oldest accretionary prisms in Nanki Kumano Geopark, having accumulated around 70 million years ago at the bottom of the ocean. Located near te rafting disembarkation area, “The Unconformity in Komatsu” is a geosite where you can see the boundary between accretionary prisms and forearc basin sediments accumulated in a comparatively shallow sea.

* Information is subject to change. Please be sure to check with the site/facility before heading out.