地域観光資源の 多言語解説文データベース

Ryuokyo Valley

The Ryuokyo Valley runs for approximately 6 kilometers along the Kinugawa River, with the hot-spring resorts of Kinugawa Onsen and Kawaji Onsen at either end. The mountains here were formed in an undersea volcanic eruption roughly 22 million years ago. Over the millennia, the force of the river’s currents and cascading stones chiseled away at the landscape, sculpting the gorge into its present configuration. The characters for ryu-o mean “dragon king,” a name given the valley in 1950 because its winding course is said to resemble the auspicious image of an ascending dragon.

Rocks visible from the nature trail that follows the river through the gorge tell the story of three distinct geological phenomena that contributed to its creation. The rocks of Shiryu, the upriver section, are mostly purplish andesite created in the early stages of the eruption. In the middle section, Seiryu, the rocks are primarily green tuff, which is formed when ash and other rock fragments are ejected from a volcanic vent. The extreme heat of the ash fuses it with the rock fragments, and the presence of copper in the mix stains the rock a bluish green. The rocks of Hakuryu, the downriver section, are predominantly rhyolite, a silica-rich volcanic rock characterized by its fine grain and a white appearance.

Each of the three sections showcases unusual formations shaped by erosion and the collapse of rocks as the river makes its way through the gorge. Although its flow may seem peaceful much of the time, the Kinugawa River earned its name—meaning “angry oni” (a mythical demon)—from the turbulence of the water and the noise of tumbling stones following heavy rainfalls.

Note: Land leeches are often found on the trail between April and November, particularly during the rainy season. Spraying your shoes with repellent is highly recommended.

龍王峽

龍王峽沿鬼怒川綿延近6公里，在峽谷兩端各有一處溫泉勝地——鬼怒川溫泉和川治溫泉。大約在2200萬年前，一次海底火山噴發形成了周邊山脈。在上千萬年的時間裡，流水沖刷，山石滾落，慢慢雕琢出了龍王峽現在的模樣。1950年，人們開始稱這裡為「龍王峽」，據說是因為它蜿蜒的河道酷似一條升空的飛龍，寓意吉祥。

「自然研究路」循著河岸穿越峽谷，一路上可以看到促成龍王峽的三種地質岩石：上游「紫龍峽」河段的岩石是泛紫的安山岩，大多形成於火山噴發後的早期階段；中間「青龍峽」區域主要是綠色凝灰岩，由火山口噴出的極高溫火山灰與其他碎石凝結而成。因凝灰岩含銅元素，故呈現出藍綠色調；下游「白龍峽」多為流紋岩，這是一種富含二氧化矽的火山岩，顆粒細膩，外觀呈現白色。

河流穿過峽谷，不斷侵蝕山體，造成岩石崩裂，從而形成了三個河段各不相同的獨特地貌。雖然鬼怒川大部分時候看來溫和平緩，可在大雨過後就會變得十分湍急，裹挾著岩石呼嘯而下，就像一隻發怒的鬼怪，「鬼怒」之名正由此得來。

特別提醒：4～11月這段期間，自然研究路沿途多見螞蟥，雨季更多。建議在鞋子上噴灑螞蟥驅避劑。

龙王峡

龙王峡沿鬼怒川绵延近6公里，峡谷两端各有一处温泉胜地——鬼怒川温泉和川治温泉。周边山脉形成于大约2200万年前的一次海底火山喷发。在上千万年的漫长岁月里，流水的冲刷和滚落的山石雕琢出了龙王峡如今的模样。“龙王”之名始自1950年，据说是因为它蜿蜒的河道仿如一条升空的飞龙，十分吉祥。

“自然研究路”循着河岸穿越峡谷，一路上可以看到三种代表不同地质现象的岩石，正是它们造就了如今的龙王峡。上游“紫龙峡”河段的岩石大都是泛紫的安山岩，形成于火山喷发后的早期阶段；中间“青龙峡”区域则以绿色凝灰岩为主，由火山口喷出的极高温火山灰与其他碎石凝结而成。因凝灰岩含铜，所以呈现出蓝绿色调；下游“白龙峡”多为流纹岩，这是一种富含二氧化硅的火山岩，颗粒细腻，外观呈白色。

河流穿过峡谷，流水侵蚀山体，岩石崩裂，形成了三个河段各不相同的独特地貌。虽然鬼怒川大部分时候看上去都温和平缓，可一旦大雨过后，就会变得湍急喧嚣，裹挟着岩石呼啸而下，宛如“发怒的鬼怪”，“鬼怒”之名正由此得来。

友情提示：4～11月期间，自然研究路沿途多见蚂蟥，雨季尤甚。强烈建议在鞋子上喷洒蚂蟥驱避剂。