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.

Kinza 【きんざ】
Designed by Naito Rei
Kinza is a small, 200 year old house that has been converted into an artwork of traditional building design and craftsmanship. Located next door to the Gokaisho, Kinza can only be viewed from Friday to Sunday with advance reservations. Visitors enter Kinza one at a time.

Open:Thursday to Sunday and holidays
Hours:11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Admission:510 yen
Viewing Kinza
Visitors are requested to enter one at a time and finish viewing Kinza within 15 minutes.
A reservation: Required.

Takamatsu Shopping Arcade is the long, covered shopping street from Takamatsu Castle to Ritsurin Koen.  Known in Japanese as a shotengai, these shopping streets consisting of small family businesses were an important part of life in Japan in the past. Said to be the longest covered shopping arcade in Japan, Takamatsu Shopping Arcade is nearly 2.7 kilometer in length.

With the passage of time, more and more shopping arcades in Japan are moving away from small family businesses to large corporate chain stores.  The northern end of the Takamatsu Shopping Arcade (near Takamatsu Castle) was been redeveloped into an upscale shopping plaza with tenants such as Louis Vuitton and Coach.  Hungry visitors best visit Lion Dori, a street running parallel to the main shopping street.  Here visitors will find an array of eateries, including places which serve the local delicacy, Sanuki Udon.

Hours:  varies from store to store.  In general, most stores are opened from 11am to 7pm or so.
Holidays:  varies from store to store.  Many stores are opened every day.  Some stores are closed once a week, typically on a Monday or Wednesday.

Access Information:
From JR Takamatsu Station or Takamatsu Castle, it is a 10 to 15 minute walk. 

The Kankakei Gorge located at the center of Shodoshima Island, Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku, is one Japan's three most beautiful gorges. It is said the gorge was formed over a time period of over 2 million years. The rocks in the gorge have been shaped by the wind and rain. A must-visit site for hikers and naturists, the gorge attracts many visitors, especially in autumn with its array of fall colors.  

Visitors visiting Kankakei Gorge can approach the peak via ropeway, car or on foot.  The ropeway provides beautiful views of the gorge as the cable car ascends to the top. From the observation located near the upper ropeway station, visitors are greeted with views of the gorge, Seto Inland Sea, and Shodoshima Island, itself.
Kankakei Ropeway
Hours: 8:30 to 17:00 (during the fall foliage season, the first ropeway ride begins at 8:00; in the winter, the last ride is at 16:30) 
Departures every 12 minutes
Closed: Opened All Year Round
Admission: 750 yen (one way), 1350 yen (round trip) 
A 10 percent discount coupon is available online

There is a road connecting the ropeway stations. With both stations having parking lots, approaching the peak via car is an easy option.  And for more energetic visitors, there are two easy but steep trails leading to the top.

The western trail is about 2 kilometers in length.  The uphill climb takes about an hour and it is 30 to 45 minutes descending. The eastern trail is about 3 kilometers long.  Both trails are through the forest.

Access Information:
Via bus
From Kusakabe Port, there are 4 buses daily to the lower ropeway station. 
The buses operate daily during the spring holidays, Golden Week, summer holidays and foliage season.
The buses operate on the weekends, national holidays from mid March to early December.  
There are no buses during the winter.
The cost is 360 yen (one way) and the journey takes about 15 minutes. 

Via car 
From Kusakabe Port to the lower ropeway station, it is a 15 minute drive.
From Tonsho Port to the upper ropeway station, it is a40 minute drive.
From Obe Port to the upper ropeway station, it is a 20 minute drive.
From Fukuda Port to the upper ropeway station, it is a 30 minute drive.

At the foot of Mt.
 

Sentakubo on Shodoshima Island, located in Seto Inland Sea along the coast of Kagawa Prefecture,

Shikoku is the Choshikei Monkey Park.

 

Within this park are two tribes of Japanese macaques.
 

 There are a total of approximately 500 Japanese macaques wandering

around the mountains and within the park’s grounds.  


Visitors can also see exotic monkeys and peacocks within the grounds.

 

Fun for the whole family, besides observing the monkeys,

visitors can purchase food to feed the monkeys in a special caged feeding room.


 Attendants are present within the park, providing information and advice to the visitors.


 There are two monkey shows per day for enjoyment as well.  

 

Hours: 8:10 to 17:00 (last entry is 16:30)

Closed: Opened All Year Round

Admission: 370 yen

 

Access Information:

Currently there are no buses to the park.

Visitors can access the park via rental car or taxi.

From Tonosho Port, the journey would take about 20 minutes.


 The taxi fare would be about 3500 yen, one-way.



 

Visitors interested in maritime transportation,Japan’s past and small island beauty
should visit Honjima (本島),located in the Seto Inland Sea off the coast of Marugame City in Kagawa
Prefecture,Shikoku.

Honjima is the second largest island in the Shiwaku Islands which belong to Marugame City.

Shiwaku Islands played a vital role in maritime century with Honjima being the center of power among the islands.

 In the past, the home base of the Shiwaku Navy (Shiwaku Suigun) was located in Honjima.

In the late 1500’s, Toyotomi Hideyoshi recruited members of Shiwaku Navy,
an organization of highly skilled Japanese sailors,
join him to facilitate trade as well as government affairs on behalf of the shogun.

Visitors interested in learning more about this part of Japanese history
are encouraged to visit the former government office (Shiwaku Kinbansho).  
Visitors can view relics of the Shiwaku Navy here,
such as the logbook of the Kanrin Mary, the first Japanese ship to cross the Pacific Ocean.

Visitors may also wish to visit Kasashima Town, along the northeastern coast of Honjima.

Walking through the narrow streets with the old fashioned stone walls,
visitors will come upon the Important Historic Structure Group
Preservation Zone where old woodentownhouses that have been
preserved to reflect the traditional architecture.


Though there are about 20 townhouses,
only 3 have been site aside for visitors to enter to view
the typical traditional Japanese household items. 
 

Among the few other points of interest on the island
is the old fashioned elementary school,
the former Mizumiiro Elementary School on the west coast.  

This school was used in the 2004 movie “Kikansha Sensei (Big Silent Man)”.

Also on the west coast is Meotogura ("couple warehouse"), a uniquely constructed warehouse.

Visitors will find various shrines and temples on the island as well.

Honjima is one of the venues for Setouchi Triennale,
a modern art festival with venues spread out among the islands in the Seto Inland Sea.

 Several of the outdoor art pieces from the festival have a permanent home on Honjima,
allowing visitors to appreciate them during their visit.
 

Access Information
From Shikoku:
    From Marugame, visitors can utilize the high
   speed or car ferries between Marugame Port and Honjima Port.

    The one-way journey on the high speed ferry will
　take 20 minutes with a cost of 550 yen.

    The one-way journey on the car ferry will take 35 minutes
　with a cost of 550 yen as well.  

   There are only eight ferry departures per day.

From Honshu (mainland Japan):
　　From Kojima, visitors can take a high speed ferry to Honjima Port.
　　The one-way journey will take 30 minutes with a cost of 640 yen.
　　There are only 2 departures in the mornings followed by 2 departures in the afternoon.


 

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.

Located within the hot springs prefecture of Oita in Kyushu is the world famous hot springs resort town of Beppu.

Visitors can experience eight different springs here:
Beppu, Kannawa, Myoban, Kankaiji, Hamawaki, Kamegawa, Horita and Shibaseki.

It has eight major geothermal hot spots, sometimes referred to as the "eight hells of Beppu.
They are presented to visitors in a rather touristy fashion, which might not appeal to everyone.
Six of them are located in the Kannawa district and two in the more remote Shibaseki district.

Shiraike Jigoku
Known from its name, the "white pond hell"has a pond of hot, milky water.
The pond is surrounded by a nice garden and a small, older side aquarium,
taking advantage of the heat of the earth.
 

Hours: 8:00 to 17:00
Closed: Opened All Year Round
Admission: 400 yen


 

Naruto, part of Tokushima Prefecture, is the northeastern most city on Shikoku Island.
The city is known for its swirling whirlpools.
You can see them in the Strait of Naruto underneath the Onaruto Bridge which connects Tokushima to Awaji Island. 

Naruto is also the starting point of the Shikoku Pilgrimage or Henro,
which is a religious pilgrimage where one goes around visiting the 88 holy temples on Shikoku.

About Naruto whirlpools 
Because of the change of tides, the whirlpools occur roughly every six hours and can typically be seen once in the morning and once in the afternoon for an hour or two.
 
Under ideal conditions, whirlpools of up to 20 meters in diameters can be seen.
On the other hand, there is not much to see outside of the peak times or on calm days.
So it always helps to check the tide schedule before heading out.
(English and Chinese time table available on the internet.)

The whirlpools are great ways to view from sightseeing cruises which get right up next to and among the whirlpools.

The next best views are from “Uzu no Michi”, an enclosed walkway that stretches under the Onaruto Bridge and overlooks the whirlpools.
The walkway's observation room is placed 45 meters above the whirlpools below which can be observed through glass windows set in the floor.

Naruto Park has a number of walking trails and viewpoints found around it with views of the whirlpools and Onaruto Bridge.
There are two good viewpoints. One is the Senjojiki Observatory. Another is Eska Hill.

Also found in the park is the Onaruto Bridge Museum Eddy, which is devoted to the construction of the Onaruto Bridge,
its whirlpools and the strait.

Access Information

Naruto Park is placed about seven kilometers north of central Naruto City.
One or two buses per hour run between Naruto Station and Naruto Park.
The one way ride takes 25 minutes with a cost of 310 yen. Buses stop near the “Naruto Kosoku” bus stop along the way,
where it is possible to transfer to highway buses.
Highway buses traveling in the direction of Tokushima also stop at “Naruto Koen-guchi” bus stop in Naruto Park along the expressway.

Uzushio Kankosen Boat Tours
Hours: 9:00am to 4:20pm (boat tours depart every 30 to 40 minutes)
Closed: Open year-round
Admission: Aqua Eddy: 2260 yen 
Wonder Naruto: 1580 yen (2580 yen for the upper deck) 

Uzushio Kisen Boat Tours
Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm (boat tours depart every 30 minutes)
Closed: Open year-round
Admission: 1550 yen

Kochi City(高知), the capital of Kochi Prefecture, located in Shikoku has both the convenience of city lifewith tram transportation available in the downtown area as well
as an abundance of nature where the simple pleasures in life can still be experienced. 

There are numerous places to visit in Kochi.  
One of the 88 temples on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, Chikurenji Temple is located on Mount Godaisan.
The Kochi Castle, one of the 12 original Japanese castles, is located in the downtown area.
An original castle is a castle which remained intact after the feudal period.
One of the key figures of the Meiji Restoration, Sakamoto Ryoma is from Kochi.
The Sakamoto Ryoma Museum is located at Katsurahama Beach.

In addition to just looking, visitors may wish to partake in the local seafood which is fresh and delicious.
The local delicacy, slightly broiled bonito is particularly popular among the locals and visitors.
The Hirame Market is large food court type building where inexpensive but fresh seafood can be purchased and consumed.
In addition to eating, the city holds the Yosakai Festival in the summer, which is fun for all!


 

Seafood lovers must visit Koichi, the southernmost prefecture of Shikoku, and try their specialty katsuo no tataki (鰹のタタキ).  
Katsuo is the fish bonito with katsuo no tataki to mean the bonito out layer has been lightly broiled.
 Traditionally, this is done over a straw fire.
Katsuo no tataki is served with finely chopped green onions, ginger and garlic.
 Visitors can dip the piece of fish into salt or soy sauce with vinegar before consuming.

There is no “katsuo no tataki” specialty store.
However, visitors can visit any seafood restaurant or izakaya in Kochi to try this fresh, super delicious seafood. 

Bonito flakes are used for seasoning in many foods.
It is also used for the stock in miso soup.
Kochi’s katsuo-bushi (bonito flakes) are among the best in Japan.
Visitors will find many store in Kochi selling katsuo (bonito) related souvenirs.