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This is a preview of the full content of our Japan’s Best app.

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Iya Valley 祖谷

Vine bridges & ‘living scarecrows’

Iya Valley

A legendary remote region in the central Shikoku mountains, the Iya Valley is a great escape for a couple of days, though you’ll want your own wheels to explore it.

The more accessible Nishi-iya (western Iya) features the legendary Peeing Boy Statue, a great hot springs hotel at Iya Onsen and a famous though over-visited vine bridge dwarfed by a huge carpark.

The much harder-to-get-to Oku-Iya (Higashi / eastern Iya) is the absolute highlight, although you’ll be driving extremely winding roads to get in there (hint: they are what keeps the tour buses out!).

Highlights here are:

  • the twin vine bridges at Oku-Iya Kazurabashi
  • eye-popping Nagoro village, with its population of life-size scarecrow dolls.
  • a relatively easy climb of Mt Tsurugi, Shikoku’s second highest mountain, which sits at the head of the valley.
Read the full content in the app
iOS App Store Google Play

Shikoku 四国

Shikoku In-10-Days

Off the beaten track with a rental car

Text © Craig McLachlan

Image by Robyn Jay