Mt. Tsurugi

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.

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.