The monk Sanei of the Kojaku-ji temple planted the first maples in 1634; the name dates from 1930.
In 1634 the itinerant monk Sanei, of the Kojaku-ji temple on the hill above the gorge, planted maples and cedars along the path that climbed from the Tomoe River to the temple: that is where the stand of maples that colours the valley today came from. The name ‘Kōrankei’ was given only in 1930, by an executive of the Mainichi newspaper. The landmark bridge, the Taigetsukyō, got its name in 1953 and was last rebuilt in 2007.
The gorge runs down from the Kojaku-ji temple to the Tomoe River, in the town of Asuke, and is today one of the best-known places in central Japan for autumn foliage, with the Momiji Matsuri taking up the whole of November and an evening illumination of Mount Iimori.
ℹ️ Area open at all times, free; paid car park with 600 spaces. During the Momiji Matsuri (1–30 November), illumination from sunset to 21:00. The Kojaku-ji temple has its own hours, 9:00–16:00.
🚉 香嵐渓 · 3 min walk
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