香嵐渓

Korankei is a gorge in the Mikawa region along the Tomoe River, reached by about a 45-minute bus ride from Toyotashi Station. With countless old trees, sunlight streaming through the forest, and mountain silhouettes reflected on the river’s surface, Korankei is a place overflowing with natural beauty. In particular, its autumn foliage is spectacular, with around 4,000 maple trees turning brilliant colors, drawing more than 800,000 visitors every year from inside and outside the prefecture. Typically, in November, the entire gorge is illuminated at night, creating a fiery, glowing landscape that feels like the trees are burning with passion. To maintain the nearly 100-year-old trees that make up much of the gorge and to protect the scenic Korankei area, Toyota City held a crowdfunding campaign that collected 3.45 million yen in donations, exceeding the 3 million yen goal, highlighting how widely loved and cherished Korankei is by people across Japan. Beyond the scenery, the many food stalls lined up from the parking area are also a major draw. Local specialties such as gohei-mochi, deep-fried maple-leaf tempura, matsutake rice, and salted-grilled ayu sweetfish are available, making it enjoyable for both children and adults just to stroll and snack.