Kiyotsu Gorge and Beyond Scenic Rice Terraces and Beech Forests

A guide will show you around kiyotsu Gorge.

This area is a marsh where water that has taken many years to seep through the snow-covered slopes of Mt. Naeba has emerged as a spring. Covered in beech and cedar trees, it has a mystical atmosphere and is home to numerous legends of dragon deities. Thanks to its delicious water quality and abundant flow, it has been designated as one of the “100 Famous Waters of Japan.” The spring water is safe to drink. (In case of rain, we will visit the Echigo Satoyama Museum of Contemporary Art (MonET). This is a hub for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, where you can view works by world-renowned artists.)

You can enjoy a meal at the Matsudai Nohbutai Satoyama Shokudo. You can also view artworks at the small art museum.

Approximately 200 rice paddies of various sizes spread across the slopes like fish scales, displaying a rich variety of scenery depending on the season. During the peak season, when sea of clouds form and the water mirrors shimmer, many visitors come from all over the country to admire the beautiful landscape. In spring (from snowmelt until rice planting) and autumn (from late October until the first snowfall), water pools in the paddies, creating “water mirrors.”

Beech trees, approximately 100 years old, spread across the hills of Matsunoyama. In the late Taisho era, they were all cut down for charcoal, leaving the mountains bare; however, the following year, the beech trees sprouted all at once and grew, taking on their current form. Due to the beauty of their stance, they came to be called the “Forest of Beauties.” They are also known for being home to many wild birds.