is a river valley located at the mid reaches of the Kiso River

Kiso River

The is a river in Japan roughly 193 km long, flowing through the prefectures of Nagano, Gifu, Aichi, and Mie before emptying into Ise Bay a short distance away from the city of Nagoya. It is the main river of the Kiso Three Rivers and forms a major part of the Nōbi Plain...

, which runs through the cities of Ena

Ena, Gifu

is a city located in the Tōnō region of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. As of July 2011, the city has an estimated population of 53,378. The total area is 504.19 km²....

 and Nakatsugawa

Nakatsugawa, Gifu

is a city located in the Tōnō region of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1952.-History:During Japan's Edo period, Nakatsugawa was a post town, known as Nakatsugawa-juku, one of the 69 Stations of the Nakasendō along the Nakasendō. The travel route ran from the Nihonbashi in...

 in Gifu Prefecture

Gifu Prefecture

is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...

, Japan.

Ena Gorge was so named by Shiga Shigetaka

Shiga Shigetaka

was the editor of the magazine Nihonjin during the Meiji period, in which he argued against extreme Westernization.-External links:* Shiga Shigetaka, The forgotten Enlightener...

, a geographer of that time who praised the harmony of the mysteriously shaped rocks, which appeared to be continuous with the lakeside vista of Ōi Dam

Oi Dam

The is a dam located between the cities of Ena and Nakatsugawa in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was built to produce electricity for the surrounding area. The Agi River flows through the damn....

.
It is situated in Ena Gorge Prefectural Park.

The mysteriously shaped rock formations are prominent throughout. Byobu Rock, Gunkan Rock, Shishi Rock, Kagami Rock, and more can be seen, and there are jet boats that afford passengers a closer look at the rocks.

This is also a very important place geologically. There is a Mineral Museum. The area also thrives as a vacation spot with close proximity to the Nagoya Metropolitan area.

Ena-kyo Ohashi Bridge spans Ena Gorge.

Kasa Rock

) is a rock formation in the Ena Gorge area. It is a National Natural Monument. The rock gets its name from the bottom part, which is narrow like an umbrella. The rock is made of black mica-granite. And was shaped by weathering and erosion caused by water and rainfall. At its widest, the rock has a diameter of 3.3 meters, and at its narrowest less than one meter.