Nishi-Awa Contents

Boke Mart sells a variety of local products such as “Iya Konnyaku” and “Iya Tofu”, which are used for “Dekomawashi”, a local dish of Iya (Oboke and Iya).
Drinks, bread, cup noodles, sweets, etc. are also available for shopping on your way to Mt. Tsurugi.
Also, you can eat “Iya soba”, “Boke Iya soup”, “Udon”, etc. at Boke Mart No. 2 across the street.

Fusuma Karakuri is a traditional Japanese performing art in which a series of sliding fusuma panels, painted with scenes or patterns, are rotated vertically, horizontally, or diagonally to transform the imagery and reveal new landscapes or designs.

Though this art form gradually disappeared during Japan’s postwar period of rapid economic growth, it was revived in October 2005 with a special performance held for the first time in 50 years.

Today, Fusuma Karakuri can be enjoyed during the local autumn festival, performed alongside regional folk songs and dances.

Ushiroyama Fusuma Kaeakuri: 69 panels
Tokuzen Fusuma Karakuri: 57 panels

The Jindai Odori of Nishi-Iya is a folk performing art of the Nishi-Iya Mountain Village in Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture.
In 1976, it was registered as a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, and in 2022, it was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage along with 41 other Furyuodori dances throughout Japan.

The origin of Jindai Odori is believed to be a ritual to pray for rain more than 1,100 years ago.
Unlike the dance rituals for keeping away evil spirits and repelling insects that have been handed down in various parts of Japan, the Jindai Odori is a flamboyant and heroic dance.

This is a hot competition among volunteers from inside and outside of Shikoku.
Higashi-Iya, located near Mt. Tsurugi, is known for its high altitude and snow.
This event is an annual snowball battle held in the Higashi-iya Valley, following the official sports rules.

It is exciting not only for the participants, but also for the watching!
Let's enjoy the cold winter days hot!

This community is located in the heart of the Higashi-Iya Valley; a beautiful hamlet built into the mountainside. The homes here were constructed during the middle of the Edo period (circa.1700), up until the Showa period (circa 1930). It is unknown when the first settlers arrived here, but there are many legends and folklore of the Heike clan and frontier settlers making their homes in Ochiai. Villagers live at an elevation of 390 meters on a steep hillside, and the village itself was formed by stacking stones to make walls. There is an impressive and ancient air to this mountain hamlet and a natural beauty you simply can't encounter anywhere else.

Designated in 2005 as a national preserved heritage site.

Ikeda Awa Odori Dance Festival!
Awa Odori is one of the three major traditional dances in Japan.
During the three days of the Bon Festival, the town of Awa Ikeda is filled with the sounds of the dance.
Food stalls line the sides of the streets, and about 30 groups of dancers dance through the streets. This is Tokushima's summer festival!
You can enjoy the festival in the paid stands or walk around the free performance stages.
Whether you enjoy watching or dancing with the dancers, you are sure to have a great time!

On August 13, the pre-festival event will be held on the Naesokko Park stage, too.

This lift makes climbing the mountain all the easier, even for beginners. Enjoy the natural scenery around you in this single-seated chairlift that is 830 m long and takes about 15 minutes. It carries you up to Nishijima Station, an altitude of 1420 m, which is halfway up Mt. Tsurugi.

Dodoro Waterfall boasts a drop of 30 m, created on the Ototani River, a tributary of the Handa River. The area around the falls was developed as a sightseeing spot in 1995, and newly opened in May 1997.
There is a parking lot, an observation point and public toilets, and two rest houses.

Light-up: 2 months from July to August, from 7pm to 9pm.
The Dodoro Falls Festival (from 1pm) is held in July every year, with goma burning and other events.

The crystalline Sadamitsu River flows through the beautiful canyon of “Dogama”. The name means “earthen pot”, and if you visit the spot yourself, you’ll soon discover why! The powerful flow of the river wore the walls of this gorge smooth and rounded some parts out, making the scenery resemble a basin. And the canyon does look like a work of pottery, made of a rare pearly schist called “Awa Aoishi” (or Awa blue stone), one of Tokushima’s many natural attractions.

This three-tiered waterfall in Tsurugi town surges down from 85 meters and is the highest waterfall in the prefecture. As Tsurugi town's most popular tourist spot, Narutaki is lovely to visit in any season. Public toilet and parking available.

Before climbing Mt. Tsurugi, stop by for information, handy goods, and souvenirs. Also enjoy our original craft beer and coffee made from freshly ground beans with a hot sandwich (for eat-in or take-out).

A local exchange base facility with a souvenir corner, a restaurant, a bathing facility, a teleworking office, and a café. The souvenir corner offers a wide variety of Shikoku's specialties as well as ethical products. The open-air plaza with its expansive lawn is also equipped with a colorful playground.