Yabakei Gorge includes a number of exotic rock formations created from the erosion of a lava plateau, offering the visitor panoramic views of cliffs, caves, and waterfalls. This mystical terrain has become the subject of legend and prayer as well as a place of fascination for writers and artists. The thousand-year-old Buddhist sculptures and stone gardens throughout the landscape are linked together by a succession of stone arch bridges.
The seaside castle town of Nakatsu is home to dozens of restaurants serving local specialties like soba noodles to visitors on their way to Yabakei. From Nakatsu, the route passes through the sacred Mt. Hachimen with its massive rock formations, the spectacular Rakanji Temple, and Kyoshuho Cliff, before reaching the Morimachi district in Kusu, said to be Japan's smallest castle town. Wandering in the gorge among the beautiful intermingling of nature and civilization is like getting lost in an old scroll painting.