Slabs of crystalline schist lifted from the Earth's crust: a national Natural Monument.
You look out over the Arakawa River, where erosion has exposed horizontal slabs of metamorphic rock for hundreds of metres, laid out like the tatami of a room, hence the name ‘iwadatami’ (岩畳, rock tatami). From the pier five minutes' walk from the station, traditional rowing boats go down the rapids with an oarsman-narrator, in two 20-minute stretches (親鼻橋-岩畳 and 岩畳-高砂橋) or on the combined route.
Designated a Natural Monument and a Place of Scenic Beauty of national importance. The area is also among the ‘100 best cherry blossom spots in Japan’, with about 3,000 trees.
ℹ️ The rocks are a public area, always accessible. The boats run 9:00–16:00 and are closed at the end of the year; fare 1,600¥ adults/800¥ children for one stretch, 3,000¥/1,400¥ for the full route. If it rains, ponchos are provided free. Access: 5 minutes on foot from Nagatoro Station (Chichibu Railway).
🚉 Nagatoro · 4 min walk
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