Moopon

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.

Higashi Iya History and Folk Museum
The Higashi Iya History and Folk Museum is a history museum at the entrance to Oku Iya.
You will find exhibits and display items like tools, clothes, household items, and other traditional items of the region inside of the facility.

Hours: 8:30 to 17:00 
Closed: Weekends and holidays (Dec to Feb), New Year holidays 
Admission: 410 yen

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.

Kazurabashi Bridge 
Suspension bridges made of mountain vines (kazurabashi) were one of the only ways to easily move people and goods across the river of the of the Iya Valley in the past.
Their origins are unclear but legends say that they were either first raised by Kobo Daishi, who was founder of the Shingon Sect of Japanese Buddhism,
or built by Heike refugees hiding in the area after their defeat in the Gempei War or Genpei kassen (1180-1185) as a means of quickly cutting off access to the valley.

There are only three surviving bridge as though 13 bridges once spanned the valley.
Iya Kazurabashi (祖谷かずら橋), the largest and most popular of the remaining bridges, stretches 45 meters across the Iya River at the center of the valley,
and offers visitors an restless view of the water 14 meters below the open slats of the span.
The bridge is rebuilt every three years and is anchored to tall cedar trees at both ends and has steel cables hidden within the vines for safety.
The bridge a one way street

Hours: Sunrise to sunset (illuminated in the evenings from 19:00 to 21:00)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 500 yen
The level of English: Good

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.

The Oboke Gorge (Ōboke) has unusual geological strata, including a rudaceous schist formation designated as a natural monument.
Oboke Gorge and neighboring Koboke Gorge a little ways downstream, are narrow, steep sided gorges near the entrance to the Iya Valley.
Their names mean "big dangerous steps" and "small dangerous steps" as their jagged, rocky walls can be dangerous to navigate.
Yoshino River has cut through the Shikoku Mountains over the ages, eroding crystalline schist into winding gorges with myriad shapes and forms,
which almost look like marble statues. 

The gorges are one of the leading outdoor destinations in Japan and are known for their beautiful natural scenery and for the variety of outdoor attractions.

Oboke Sightseeing Boat Cruise

Guides show interesting rocks, many of which resemble different animals, along the way on this gentle 30 minute boat ride down the Yoshino River.
Boats depart and return to a dock a short ways away from Lapis Oboke and Oboke Station.
Passenger requires taking off their shoes and sitting on the floor of the boat during the cruise.

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 
Closed: No closing days 
Admission: 1080 yen

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

The Oboke Gorge (Ōboke) has unusual geological strata, including a rudaceous schist formation designated as a natural monument.
Oboke Gorge and neighboring Koboke Gorge a little ways downstream, are narrow, steep sided gorges near the entrance to the Iya Valley.
Their names mean "big dangerous steps" and "small dangerous steps" as their jagged, rocky walls can be dangerous to navigate.
Yoshino River has cut through the Shikoku Mountains over the ages, eroding crystalline schist into winding gorges with myriad shapes and forms,
which almost look like marble statues. 

The gorges are one of the leading outdoor destinations in Japan and are known for their beautiful natural scenery and for the variety of outdoor attractions.

Lapis Oboke
Lapis Oboke is a rest area (called Michi no Eki meaning, station on the road) close to Oboke Station with a tourist information center, restaurant and shop.
Inside is the funny little Yokai Museum featuring models and dioramas of the ghosts and monsters (yokai), such as Demon King.
The Museum was recognized by cartoonist, Mizuki Shigeru.  
A small gem museum resides on the floor above the Yokai Museum. 

Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 
Closed: Mondays from December to February 
Admission: 500 yen (both museums) 
The level of English: Moderate
 

The Oboke Gorge (Ōboke) has unusual geological strata, including a rudaceous schist formation designated as a natural monument.
Oboke Gorge and neighboring Koboke Gorge a little ways downstream, are narrow, steep sided gorges near the entrance to the Iya Valley.
Their names mean "big dangerous steps" and "small dangerous steps" as their jagged, rocky walls can be dangerous to navigate.
Yoshino River has cut through the Shikoku Mountains over the ages, eroding crystalline schist into winding gorges with myriad shapes and forms, which almost look like marble statues. 

The gorges are one of the leading outdoor destinations in Japan and are known for their beautiful natural scenery and for the variety of outdoor attractions.

River Rafting
The upstream of the Yoshino river, called Oboke and Koboke is famous for its torrent.
And the river  is one of Japan's most well known destinations for whitewater rafting.
There are several outdoor adventure companies which offer guided tours.
Full day and half day rafting tours are available, as well as a variety of other adventures sports such as hydrospeed and canyoning.

Hours: 8:00 to 20:00 
Season: April to November 
Admission: Half day tours start from 5200 yen
Some company has an English web site.

The Art House Project takes empty houses scattered about residential areas, and turns the spaces themselves into works of art, weaving in the history and memories of the period when the houses were homes. Meetings between visitors to the island and the island's people in places where they go about their daily lives also provide occasions for a variety of interesting encounters.

The art houses are scattered throughout town, and most of them are unassuming from the street, blending into the surrounding traditional Japanese neighborhood. The interior of each, however, has been given over to artists to convert into whatever suits their artistic vision.

Closed: Mondays
Open on Mondays for national holidays but closed the next day.
Open Day Calendar
Hours: 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The Art House project has English information page.

Minamidera 
Architecture by Ando Tadao, Artwork by James Turrell
Minamidera, built on the former site of a temple, is a new structure designed by Ando Tadao, the star architect who also designed the art museums on Naoshima. Inside is James Turrell's "Backside of the Moon", an intriguing art piece that plays with your perception of light.

Go'o Shrine (護王神社)

Designed by Sugimoto Hiroshi
Go'o Shrine is an old Shinto shrine enshrined from the Edo period that has been restored with a modern makeover by Artist Hiroshi Sugimoto. An optical glass staircase leads from the worship hall to an underground chamber that represents the unity of heaven and earth. Visitors may enter the underground chamber from a narrow side entrance.

Hiroshi Sugimoto
He was born in Japan in 1948. A photographer since the 1970s, his work deals with history and temporal existence by investigating themes of time, empiricism, and metaphysics.

Closed: Mondays  Open on Mondays for national holidays but closed the next day
Hours: 10a.m - 4:30p.m
Admission: 410 yen

Ishibashi (石橋)
Artwork by Senju Hiroshi

One industry in Naoshima about a century ago was salt making.Ishibashi was originally built around 100 years ago as the home of a prosperous salt merchant. It has since been restored and houses two large paintings by Senju Hiroshi. One is painted onto the sliding doors of the main building, while the other, a large painting depicting a spectacular waterfall, hangs in the adjacent storehouse.

Hiroshi Senju
Born in Tokyo, 1958. PhD, Tokyo National University of Fine Art and Music. Honorable mention in painting category, 46th Venice Biennale (1995).

Closed: Mondays  Open on Mondays for national holidays but closed the next day
Hours: 10a.m-4:30p.m
Admission: 410yen