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Obako
大函Hokkaido
Obako ('big box') is the most dramatic section of Sounkyo Gorge, where sheer columnar-jointed cliffs rise like folding screens above the Ishikari River. The towering walls of hexagonal basalt columns are the geological showpiece of the gorge and a favourite viewpoint in autumn when the surrounding slopes turn red and gold.
- Best season
- Autumn
- Crowd level
- Moderate
- Opening hours
- Daily Open 24 hours
- Admission
- Free roadside gorge viewpoint in Sounkyo; free parking (~50 spaces), open year-round. The adjacent Shokanpo (小函) trail is closed for rockfall risk.
Usual hours — confirm with the official site for holidays + seasonal closures.
Today
Open 24 hoursFreeStored weekly hours
Daily Open 24 hours
Tags
gorgecoastgeologyviewpointnature
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