Moopon

Kazura Bridge is the type of "bridges" that consists of a wooden cart suspend on a rope over the river, and were used to transport goods and people.
13 suspension bridges made of mountain vines, called kazurabashi, used to be found throughout the Iya Valley and provided a essential means of getting people and goods across the river in olden days.
Two of the surviving bridges still stand side by side deep in the ravine.
They are known as the Oku-Iya Kazurabashi or myoto-bashi(couples bridges).

The larger of the two bridges, Otto no Hashi (meaning:Husband Bridge), stretches 44 meters across the river next to a small waterfall, while the slightly lower Tsuma no Hashi (meaning: Wife Bridge) is a 22 meter span just a little ways upstream.
The bridges are constructed with steel cables covered within the vines for safety.
They are rebuilt every three years. The bridges are connected to each other by a network of paved hiking trails that also lead to camping facilities on the opposite side of the river.

Another popular attraction is a Yaen Bridge (meaning: Wild Monkey) placed next to the Wife Bridge.
It a human-power ropeway. Visitors can try out the wild monkey bridge and pull themselves across the river.

Access infomation
A rental car is recommended to visit the Oku-Iya Kazurabashi Bridges.

1. Nijukazurabashi bus stop.( The nearest bus stop to around the area)
*From Awa Ikeda Station to Kubo, take a bus and transfer to another bus bound for 
Nijukazurabashi or Mount Tsurugi. Get off at the Nijukazurabashi bus stop.
The one way journey will take 2 hours with a cost of 1790 yen. There are only 4 buses a day. Moreover buses from Kubo to the bridge operate only on weekends and holidays from April to November.

Schedule & Cost
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Closed: December to March
Admission: 550 yen
The level of English: Good

The Iya Valley (Iyakei) is a sheltered and private mountainous valley along the Iya River in western Tokushima Prefecture.
Its steep forested slopes are connected to the outside world by a zigzag,sometimes incredibly narrow mountain road that leads the valley.
Since the Iya valley located secluded regions, it is difficult to access, however, that is what attracts visitor to the area who want to experience a traditional, nature. 

Historically the Iya Valley has been difficult a place to enter, and used as a refuge for members of the defeated Taira or Heike Clan who escaped to the region toward the end of the 12th century after losing the Gempei War (1180 to1185).
Their descendants can still be found around the tiny mountain villages that dispersedly existing.

The Iya Valley is usually divided into two areas.
Nishi Iya (West Iya) located around the entrance to the valley and is slightly more developed and more accessible as there are relatively frequent buses to some of the major attractions.
Oku Iya (Inner Iya, also called Higashi Iya or East Iya) lies further back into the valley so is difficult to reach without a rental car or other means of private transportation. 

This region is famous for Iya soba

Access infomation
A rental car is recommended to visit the area.

1. To Nishi Iya (West Iya)
 *From Awa Ikeda Station to Kubo, take a bus and transfer to another bus bound for Nijukazurabashi or Mount Tsurugi.
Get off at the Nijukazurabashi bus stop.
The one way journey will take 2 hours with a cost of 1790 yen.
There are only 4 buses a day.
Moreover buses from Kubo to the bridge operate only on weekends and holidays from April to November.
2. To Oku Iya (Inner Iya)
Rental car stores are available around Oboke and Awa Ikeda Stations.
A rental car is recommended, particularly for visiting the less traveled Oku Iya area.
Note: The roads are very narrow and have frequent blind curves, which make driving both hazardous and slow.

The Iya Valley (祖谷渓谷 Iya Keikoku) region in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan is a scenic area known for its dramatic mountain valleys and old vine bridges.
The Iya Valley and the inner parts of Shikoku have historically been remote and difficult to enter,
making them a favorite retreat for refugees and defeated Heike warriors although access has improved in recent years.

Manikin Peeing Boy Statue
At the edge of this dizzying, 200 meter high cliff stands the boy statue posed as if he were peeing off the ledge down to the valley bellow.
This statue is placed at a beautiful scenic spot a few steps from The Iya ONSEN HOTEL, where local folklore says travelers would climb out to pee off in order to try to act strong or play chicken. 

The Iya Valley is usually divided into two areas.
Nishi Iya (West Iya) located around the entrance to the valley and is slightly more developed and more accessible as there are relatively frequent buses to some of the major attractions.
Oku Iya (Inner Iya, also called Higashi Iya or East Iya) lies further back into the valley so is difficult to reach without a rental car or other means of private transportation. 

The image is Sobamai zosui (buckwheat porridge), which is the local specialties of the Iya region made from dechaffed buckwheat berries in place of rice. 

Access Information
A rental car is recommended to visit the area.

1. To Nishi Iya (West Iya)
 *From Awa Ikeda Station to Kubo, take a bus and transfer to another bus bound for Nijukazurabashi or Mount Tsurugi.
Get off at the Nijukazurabashi bus stop.
The one way journey will take 2 hours with a cost of 1790 yen.
There are only 4 buses a day.
Moreover buses from Kubo to the bridge operate only on weekends and holidays from April to November.
2. To Oku Iya (Inner Iya)
Rental car stores are available around Oboke and Awa Ikeda Stations.
A rental car is recommended, particularly for visiting the less traveled Oku Iya area.
Note: The roads are very narrow and have frequent blind curves, which make driving both hazardous and slow.

The Iya Valley (祖谷渓谷 Iya Keikoku) region in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan is a scenic area known for its dramatic mountain valleys and old vine bridges.
The Iya Valley and the inner parts of Shikoku have historically been remote and difficult to enter, making them a favorite retreat for refugees and defeated Heike warriors although access has improved in recent years.

Shin-Iya Onsen Hotel Kazurabashi 
This hotel is located one of Japan's three major least visited regions.
The sky-high open-air bath is accessed by a cable car. It provides local dishes which are popular amongst guests.
The hotel has three outdoor baths, one for each gender as well as a mixed gender bath in which you can watch nice views out over the Iya Valley.
The baths are found high up on the mountainside above the hotel.
The can be accessed by a short cable car from the main building.

Daytime Hours: 10:00 to 16:00 
Daytime Admission: 1200 yen 
Overnight Stay: from 14,000 yen per person including 2 meals

Food
The image is Local dishes 

The Iya Valley is usually divided into two areas.
Nishi Iya (West Iya) located around the entrance to the valley and is slightly more developed and more accessible as there are relatively frequent buses to some of the major attractions.
Oku Iya (Inner Iya, also called Higashi Iya or East Iya) lies further back into the valley so is difficult to reach without a rental car or other means of private transportation. 

Access Information
A rental car is recommended to visit the area.

1. To Nishi Iya (West Iya)
 *From Awa Ikeda Station to Kubo, take a bus and transfer to another bus bound for Nijukazurabashi or Mount Tsurugi.
Get off at the Nijukazurabashi bus stop.
The one way journey will take 2 hours with a cost of 1790 yen. There are only 4 buses a day.
Moreover buses from Kubo to the bridge operate only on weekends and holidays from April to November.
2. To Oku Iya (Inner Iya)
Rental car stores are available around Oboke and Awa Ikeda Stations.
A rental car is recommended, particularly for visiting the less traveled Oku Iya area.
Note: The roads are very narrow and have frequent blind curves, which make driving both hazardous and slow.

The Iya Valley (祖谷渓谷 Iya Keikoku) region in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan is a scenic area known for its dramatic mountain valleys and old vine bridges.
The Iya Valley and the inner parts of Shikoku have historically been remote and difficult to enter, making them a favorite retreat for refugees and defeated Heike warriors although access has improved in recent years.

Iya Onsen Hotel
The Iya Onsen Hotel is located high up on the steep slope overlooking the Iya Valley.
A notable point in the hotel is that its outdoor hot baths located along the river and you have to take a cable car some 170 meters below the hotel itself. 
The bath water is a lukewarm 39 degrees Celsius.

Daytime Hours: 7:00 to 18:00 (Last entry at 17:00) 
Daytime Admission: 1500 yen (including outdoor bath, indoor bath, and cable car) 
Overnight Stay: from 12,000 yen per person including 2 meals
Level of English: Good English website is available.

Food
The image is Kaiseki ryori (Traditional multi-course Japanese meal), which is used Local products.

The Iya Valley is usually divided into two areas.
Nishi Iya (West Iya) located around the entrance to the valley and is slightly more developed and more accessible as there are relatively frequent buses to some of the major attractions. Oku Iya (Inner Iya, also called Higashi Iya or East Iya) lies further back into the valley so is difficult to reach without a rental car or other means of private transportation. 

Access Information
A rental car is recommended to visit the area.

1. To Nishi Iya (West Iya)
 *From Awa Ikeda Station to Kubo, take a bus and transfer to another bus bound for Nijukazurabashi or Mount Tsurugi.
Get off at the Nijukazurabashi bus stop.
The one way journey will take 2 hours with a cost of 1790 yen. There are only 4 buses a day.
Moreover buses from Kubo to the bridge operate only on weekends and holidays from April to November.
2. To Oku Iya (Inner Iya)
Rental car stores are available around Oboke and Awa Ikeda Stations.
A rental car is recommended, particularly for visiting the less traveled Oku Iya area.
Note: The roads are very narrow and have frequent blind curves, which make driving both hazardous and slow.

Taga Shrine (多賀神社, Taga Jinja) is located north of Uwajima's city center. People pray at the shrine for longevity, good health and in particular, fertility. The shrine's claims to popularity among foreign tourists are its fertility related objects of worship, including about two meter long wooden phallus displayed alongside the main shrine building. Such explicit fertility objects were more common at shrines across Japan in the past until puritanical values from the West led to their removal around the Meiji Period (1868-1912).

There is a museum next to the shrine hall. It displays the priest's collection of international and domestic pornographic materials. Items on exhibit include adult oriented illustrations, ukiyoe and objects from various regions of the world and eras of history. Minors under the age of 20 are not allowed entry.    

Schedule & cost
Taga Shrine Grounds
Hours: Always open
Closed: No closing days
Admission: Free
Sex Museum
Hours: 8:00 to 17:00
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 800 yen

Access info                                                                                                     
Taga Shrine is a 15 minute walk northwest of Uwajima Station.  
                   

The city of Ozu grew as a castle town during the Edo Period (1603-1867). Like many other cities, the city experienced a period of westernization during the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Today, the old town around the city center retains an atmosphere reminiscent of bygone decades, with nostalgic stone-paved alleys and quaint houses of both Edo and Meiji Period architecture. Although they are not open to the public, many old merchant houses and samurai residences remain in the area,

A castle wall lines the river north of the old town for several hundred meters, stretching from Ozu Castle in the west all the way to Garyu Sanso Villa, and reminding of the extent of the castle’s influence during the feudal age. Just south of the walls is the Ozu Redbrick Hall, a remnant of Meiji western architecture. The building functions as a gallery and resting place for tourists was originally a commercial bank.

Access info
Ozu's old town can be accessed in a 20 minute walk from Iyo-Ozu Station. Alternatively, take the city loop bus from the station to Asamoya-mae (あさもや前) bus stop (7 minutes, 100 yen, 1-2 buses per hour), which is located immediately south of the old town.


Omoide Warehouse
It is a small charming museum showcasing retro exhibits from the Showa Period (1926-1989), such as old Coca Cola bottles, household items and toys. The warehouse is part of the Pokopen Yokocho Alley which recreates the ambiance of an arcade in the 1950s. The alley is lined with nostalgic wooden-framed stalls offering small items, desserts, beverages and games. However, the stands are open only on Sundays from April to November and every third Sunday in winter.

Schedule and cost
Hours: 9:30 to 16:30 (Last entry 16:00)
Closed: December 29-31
Admission:200 yen

Garyu Sanso (臥龍山荘, Garyū Sansō) is a subtle yet outstanding villa located by the river east of Ozu's old town. Ozu City (大洲, Ōzu) is located in Ehime Prefecture on the western coast of Shikoku. The city emerged during the Edo Period (1603-1867) as a castle town. A section of the old town remains today with nostalgic alleys and old-fashioned houses, serving as remembrance both to the days of the Edo Period and the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Its garden incorporates background landscape into itself and offers exquisite combination garden of art and nature. This impressive villa was built around 1907.

Main building; Garyu-in
It is a big, wooden, thatched-roof house. Here there are a few seemingly simple, yet brilliantly conceived rooms. Each room has interesting features, such as elaborately carved transoms, gracefully made lattices, unequally sized tatami mats, tastefully decorated door handles, aesthetically pleasing alcoves and coffered ceilings. One room has a circular window that symbolizes a full moon, while the staggered shelves to its left represent clouds; when the candle on the Buddhist altar behind the window is lit, the window and the shelves resemble a bright moon in the midst of floating clouds.

Garden
Behind the main building is a nice garden, whose strolling path is formed by stone slabs of different shapes and sizes. Within the peaceful surroundings stands Chishi-an, a small tea house that used to be the bathroom of the villa when it was first built. The tea house has a unique squarish entrance elevated above grou.( visitors are not allowed inside.)
At the innermost of the garden stands another thatched-roof house named Furo-an, which utilizes a living tree as one of its pillars. The image of Furo-an resting on stilts above Hijikawa River is celebrated among photography enthusiasts.

On weekends from April through October, tea and a small snack are served here for 400 yen.

Hours and Fees
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed: No closing days
Admission:500 yen (Garyu Sanso only), 800 yen (Garyu Sanso and Ozu Castle)

Access info
Garyu Sanso can be accessed in about a 30 minute walk from Iyo-Ozu Station. Alternatively, take the loop bus from the station to Asamoya-mae (あさもや前) bus stop (7 minutes, 100 yen, 1-2 buses per hour) from which the villa is a five minute walk.