Shosenkyo Gorge 昇仙峡 is a bus ride from the South Exit of Kofu Station 甲府駅's Bus Stop #4 - SUICA can be used for the fare. Not that many buses so time it well - if you happen to have some spare time, there is a nice little shopping area on the other side of the station to kill some time.
Fuji-san says hello, right by Kofu Station
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cute little shops on the other side of Kofu Station
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It takes half an hour to get to Shosenkyo-guchi 昇仙峡口 (590 yen) which is the starting point, where you can also choose to board a rustic horse-drawn carriage for 1500 yen if you don't want to walk the full 4 km.
Basically you walk along the river on the asphalt road going slightly uphill, stopping occasionally to look at rock formations that have been given names... there are Japanese/romaji signs pointing to them but few of them actually bare any resemblance to the names. One rock looks like a monkey, yes. Another one named Matsutake-ishi looks like... a penis? Well, it's supposed to be a mushroom. Fair enough.
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It took us half an hour longer than the 1-hour time estimates on the tourist map from the starting point to the waterfall, Sengataki 仙娥滝.
If you don't feel like walking, you can skip all that and go straight to the nice short trail and steps leading to the waterfall by getting off at Greenline Shosenkyo ｸﾞﾘｰﾝﾗｲﾝ 昇仙峡 (820 yen) instead or get off at Shosenkyo Taki Ue 昇仙峡 滝上 (900 yen) then walk back down to see all the best parts without having to walk uphill. |
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Near Shosenkyo Taki Ue 昇仙峡 滝上 bus stop across from the ropeway station is an awesome shop called 流しそうめん円右衛門 where you can sit outside by the river and have nagashi somen flowing noodles for 700 yen until 5 pm (last call at 4:30 pm & the last bus back is 5:32 pm).
So, there are 2 ways to do it here! One is these bamboo pipes with water flowing down... one person releases the noodles upstream and the other catches them and eat! The other is a marble table filled with groundwater that goes 'round and 'round for you to "release and catch" your somen noodles. Also, they've got very good tempura made with seasonal local Yamanashi veg! Woo-hoo!
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| Give a man a fish 'n you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish for noodles & you feed him for a lifetime? |
