Before coming here, I had experienced a week discovering Oita with my friends, so we decided to hire a 7-seat car for convenient movement. You can also go by bus, but the streets are quite complex and hard to go, so if you go in a group and hire a car to drive by yourselves, it would be much more convenient.

From Oita, it took me two hours to arrive at Takachiho at 10 am. This is also the most suitable time if you want to spend a full day admiring the famous gorge and visiting some nearby pagodas.

The tourist spot is surrounded by majestic mountains and fresh cool air. When I stood there waiting for my friends' parking, I might hear the birds singing echoing in the large space. This place is like an unexploited pristine forest which carries the astonishingly pure and picturesque beauty.

There were many foreigners who spoke different languages visited this famous gorge. I heard Korean, Chinese and a little English. It is not hard to realize that Takachiho is a well-known destination and attracts hordes of tourists.

In order to come inside the place, we had to walk through a trail. Despite being well constructed, the trail was still relatively hard to walk on, especially when you are wearing slippery sandals, you can fall at any time. Therefore, remember to buy yourself a pair of sturdy trainers to fully enjoy this interesting trip.

You can walk to view the scenery, but if the weather is fine, hiring a boat will certainly be a better option, because you will be able to admire the beauty of the gorge and the Manai waterfall in a near distance simultaneously.

As each boat only accommodated 3 people, we had to hire 2 boats. The cost per boat was 2000円 for 30-minute use. Initially, we were awkward in managing this shaky vehicle, but after getting accustomed to it, this turned out to be a fascinating activity.

If going in group, you can also have a chance to examine the sailing ability of your friends and even scold each other. This will be very fun!

Though Takachiho Gorge is not a great place of interest, it has been considered as the birthplace of Japan. This is because this natural construction is connected with a long-lasting legend of "the Land of the Rising Sun".

According to the myth, after the combat with her brother - the Sea God, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu got angry and hid in the canyon, making the entire world immersed in the eternal darkness. Then, other gods gathered and found ways to make her happy with parties and dances. It was the vibrant atmosphere that made the Goddess Amaterasu come out and lighten the world again.

Engrossed in admiring the picturesque beauty of the water, I silently appreciated how marvelous the nature was. It could naturally go into the people's hearts and leave a deep impression on them, which made me live more slowly and perceive the life in a softer and more peaceful way than ever before.

After sailing, we walked along the footpath and admired the gorge from above. Remember to wear warm clothes because the temperature in Takachiho always remains at a "pretty cold" level.

It it an ideal place for those who love "virtual living", isn't it?

The journey of experiencing Japanese culture led me to several nearby pagodas. These are also the destinations associated with Japanese tales and worth visiting.

If you are curious about these places and the stories attached to them, let's follow me!