Hitome Hakkei — the eight views of Yabakei (一目八景) 一目八景
From a single spot you can see eight rock pinnacles, hence the name ‘eight views in one glance’.
Yabakei is a gorge carved by erosion into a Quaternary volcanic plateau, straddling the municipalities of Nakatsu, Hita, Usa, Kusu and Kokonoe. The name was coined by the poet Rai San'yō, who visited the area in 1818 and in a Chinese poem called it ‘without equal under heaven’, applying Chinese characters to the local name ‘valley of the Yamakuni-gawa’. In 1916 it was chosen as one of the New Three Great Views of Japan, in 1923 it was designated a meishō (place of celebrated beauty), and since 1950 it has been part of Yaba-Hita-Hikosan National Park; in 2017 it received Japan Heritage recognition (Nihon Ishin). Hitome Hakkei, in the deep-gorge section, is the most famous viewpoint; from here you can see eight rock formations at the same time: Kaibōrei, Sennin-ga-iwa, Sarunaki-yama, Meoto-iwa, Gunen-yama, Eboshi-iwa, Yuka-chōrei and Washi-no-su-yama.
Oita
深耶馬渓温泉 (Shin-Yabakei Onsen)
