Yaba Gorge: Spectacular Gorge Drive with the Blue Grotto and Eight-View Panorama

The Yaba Gorge, sprawling among the mountains of Nakatsu City in Oita Prefecture, is one of Japan's most celebrated scenic areas, where dramatic rocky peaks and cascading streams intertwine. The day-long spectacular gorge drive begins at the Blue Grotto (青の洞門), which legend says was carved through the cliff walls by Zen Priest Zenkai using only a chisel and mallet. You'll be overwhelmed by over 3,700 stone Buddha statues at Rakan-ji Temple (羅漢寺), where hall structures nestle in clifftop caverns, photograph Japan's longest eight-arch stone bridge—the Yabakei Bridge (耶馬溪橋)—and then head to the Eight-View Panorama (一目八景) in the Shin-Yaba Gorge. Enjoy lunch at a restaurant serving the area's famous hand-made buckwheat noodles, then survey the panorama of towering rock peaks from the observation platform. The drive concludes at the Keigyokuen Japanese Garden (溪石園), which showcases the gorge's natural rocks and waters, allowing you to quietly reflect on your day of scenic beauty as you gaze at trees reflected in the mirror-like pond.