At Kiyotsu Gorge I couldn’t take my eyes off the rock walls across the river

The river roared, and the cliffs in front of me were enormous. I stopped on the way to the tunnel entrance at Kiyotsu Gorge in autumn. I’d come here after seeing photos of the water mirror, but the view outside alone had me rooted to the spot.

I pulled a jacket over my hoodie and slipped both hands into my pockets. Across the river, lines of rock ran diagonally down the cliff face. I meant to trace one line with my eyes, but halfway along I found myself following the next one instead. The rock was full of fine details, and the patterns stretched right over my head.

I learned that this pattern in the rock is called columnar jointing. The sheer cliffs on either side of the river form a huge V-shaped gorge. Knowing the geology helps me make sense of it, but seeing it right in front of me still takes my breath away. Understanding how it formed doesn’t make it any less astonishing.

The river rushed between the rocks, throwing up spray. Only the bubbles beside the stones along the bank seemed to linger; a moment later, another rush of water came through. The lines in the rock stayed the same while the water kept changing shape. I was so fascinated by the contrast that, after gazing at the cliffs, I spent a long time watching the river too.

Trees were turning autumn colours in the gaps between the rocks. After the cliffs had overwhelmed me, I started noticing even the fine branches among the leaves. I was glad I stopped here before heading into the tunnel. Looking forward to seeing the water mirror, I set off toward the entrance.

If I’m exploring Echigo-Tsumari after this, I’ll want to try hegi soba too. It’s shaping up to be a day of good food as well as beautiful scenery. When I looked at the photos back home, the first thing I remembered was the sound of the river outside.