Tokushima · City
Miyoshi
三好市みよししMiyoshi-shiVine bridges and hidden hamlets in the heart of Shikoku
Miyoshi is a mountainous city in western Tokushima Prefecture at the heart of Shikoku, covering the Iya Valley and the Ōboke and Koboke gorges of the Yoshino River. Its vine bridges, steep hamlets and Heike legends make it one of Japan's best-known remote regions.
Overview
Miyoshi covers more than 700 square kilometres of the Shikoku Mountains, making it the largest municipality in Shikoku by area, yet most of its people live in the small town of Awa-Ikeda on the Yoshino River. It was created in 2006 by merging Ikeda with the mountain villages of Iya and the Yoshino gorge country.
The Yoshino cuts north through the mountains here in the gorges of Ōboke and Koboke, walls of crystalline schist that are popular for rafting and boat trips. To the east, the Iya River flows through a V-shaped valley so deep and isolated that, according to legend, survivors of the Taira clan hid here after their defeat in 1185. Hamlets cling to slopes of up to 40 degrees, and bridges woven from mountain vines once provided the only crossings.
Today the Iya no Kazurabashi and the double vine bridges of Oku-Iya are the valley's symbols, and the terraced hamlet of Ochiai is protected as a traditional townscape. Further east, the trail to Tsurugi-san starts at Minokoshi. Awa-Ikeda, a former tobacco town, is the rail junction of Shikoku, where lines to Kōchi, Takamatsu and Tokushima meet.
Landmarks
Iya no Kazurabashi
祖谷のかずら橋Iya no kazurabashiA 45-metre suspension bridge woven from hardy-kiwi vines (shirakuchi-kazura) over the Iya River, rebuilt every three years; an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property.
Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridges
奥祖谷二重かずら橋Oku-Iya nijū kazurabashiTwo vine bridges side by side, called the husband and wife bridges, deep in eastern Iya.
Ōboke Gorge
大歩危ŌbokeA gorge of the Yoshino River with sightseeing boats and rafting through white-water rapids; a Natural Monument for its rock formations.
- 祖谷渓Iya-kei
The deep valley of the Iya River, with the viewpoint of the Peeing Boy statue on a cliff edge.
Ochiai hamlet
落合集落Ochiai shūrakuFarmhouses and terraced fields on a slope with a height difference of about 390 metres; an Important Preservation District.
Unpen-ji
雲辺寺Unpen-jiHenro Temple 66, at about 900 metres the highest temple of the pilgrimage, on the Kagawa border and reached by ropeway.
Awa-Ikeda udatsu streets
阿波池田うだつの町並みAwa-Ikeda udatsu no machinamiMerchant houses of the tobacco trade with raised firewalls, and a tobacco museum.
Districts
Awa-Ikeda
阿波池田Awa-IkedaThe town centre and railway junction on the Yoshino.
Nishi-Iya
西祖谷Nishi-IyaWestern Iya, with the Kazurabashi and Iya Onsen.
Higashi-Iya
東祖谷Higashi-IyaEastern Iya, with Ochiai, the double vine bridges and Minokoshi at the foot of Tsurugi-san.
Yamashiro
山城YamashiroThe Koboke gorge area, known for yōkai legends and a small yōkai museum.
History
Iya's remoteness gave rise to the tradition that Heike refugees settled here, and families in the valley claim descent from them; vine bridges that could be cut in case of pursuit are part of the legend. In the Edo period the valley produced tobacco, and Ikeda grew into a prosperous tobacco-trading town with merchant houses bearing udatsu firewalls.
The Dosan Line through the Ōboke gorge was completed in 1935, linking Kōchi with the north coast. Roads into Iya were improved only in the twentieth century. In 2005 the hamlet of Ochiai was designated an Important Preservation District, and in 2006 the present city was formed.
1185
According to legend, Taira refugees flee to Iya after the battle of Dan-no-ura.
Edo period
Tobacco growing and trade enrich Ikeda and the Iya Valley.
1935
The Dosan Line is completed through the Ōboke gorge.
2005
The mountain hamlet of Ochiai is designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
2006
Ikeda, Mino, Yamashiro, Ikawa, Higashi-Iya and Nishi-Iya merge to form Miyoshi.
2017
The World Rafting Championship is held on the Yoshino River at Ōboke.
Culture
Life in Iya developed in isolation: steep-slope farming, thatched houses, buckwheat and potatoes, and a store of Heike legends and yōkai tales. Much of the valley has lost population, but the region is valued for its landscapes of terraced slopes, and restored farmhouses now take in visitors. Autumn colours in the gorges draw many visitors.
Festivals
Kazurabashi rebuilding
かずら橋架け替えKazurabashi kakekaeEvery three years the vine bridge is rebuilt with fresh vines gathered in the mountains.
Awa-Ikeda Awa Odori
池田町阿波おどりIkeda-chō Awa OdoriThe town's summer Awa Odori in the tobacco-merchant streets.
Iya autumn colours
祖谷の紅葉Iya no kōyōIn late autumn the gorges of Iya and Ōboke turn red and gold.
Food
Iya soba
祖谷そばIya sobaThick, short buckwheat noodles made with little or no binder.
Dekomawashi
でこまわしDekomawashiSkewered local potato, tofu and konnyaku, grilled with miso over a hearth.
Amego
あめごAmegoRed-spotted mountain trout, salt-grilled on skewers by the fire.
Iya tofu
祖谷豆腐Iya dōfuVery firm tofu that can be tied with rope, a mountain tradition.
Getting around
- Awa-Ikeda and Ōboke stations lie on the JR Dosan Line, with limited express trains from Okayama, Takamatsu and Kōchi; Awa-Ikeda is also the terminus of the Tokushima Line.
- Buses run from Awa-Ikeda and Ōboke to the Kazurabashi and further into Iya, but services are infrequent; a rental car is the most flexible option.
- Roads in Iya are narrow and winding, with passing places; allow extra time.
- In summer and autumn a bus serves Minokoshi, the trailhead for Tsurugi-san.
Day trips
- 剣山Tsurugi-san
Shikoku's second-highest peak, climbed from Minokoshi by chairlift and trail.
- 琴平Kotohira
Kotohira-gū shrine in Kagawa, about 40 minutes north on the Dosan Line.
Wakimachi
脇町WakimachiThe udatsu street of indigo merchants down the Yoshino valley.
- 高知Kōchi
The Tosa capital, about an hour and a half south by limited express.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
Is the Iya vine bridge safe to cross?
Yes. It is reinforced with hidden steel cables and rebuilt every three years, though the wide gaps between the planks make the crossing exciting.
How much time do you need for the Iya Valley?
A day covers Ōboke and the Kazurabashi; to see Higashi-Iya, Ochiai and the double vine bridges, stay at least one night.
Can you reach Iya without a car?
Yes, by bus from Awa-Ikeda or Ōboke Station, but services are limited; check timetables in advance and plan around them.
Why is Iya called one of Japan's three hidden regions?
Its deep valley and steep slopes kept it isolated for centuries; it is often grouped with Shirakawa-gō and Shiiba as Japan's three great hidden regions.
Related
Sources
- 1.三好市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 三好市
- 2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
- 3.重要伝統的建造物群保存地区一覧 (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁
- 4.徳島県ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 徳島県