Nishi-Awa Contents

This area features a variety of beautiful Buddhist temples and also a theatre where Noh and Kabuki festivals are held each year.

This museum is housed in the former residence of the descendants of Horikawa Naiki, the court physician of Emperor Antoku. After the fall of the Heike clan, Horikawa Naiki and his family sought refuge in the Iya Valley, where they served both as physicians and Shinto priests, making use of the area’s abundant medicinal herbs.

In the garden stands an ancient tree estimated to be 800 years old. Inside the preserved Edo-period residence, visitors can view a collection of artifacts, including armor, banners, historical documents, and everyday tools once used by the Heike descendants.

This massive tree is one of the largest in western Japan, and is over 1000 years old. It has been designated as a national natural memorial site, and has become a symbol of the town where it resides, Higashimiyoshi.

An exceptionally rare ningyo joruri puppet theatre, held within the grounds of Funato Shrine in Higashiyama Aza Hoichi.
Beneath the removable floorboards, the earthen stage is shaped like the hull of a boat, allowing puppet handlers wearing geta to move freely below the performance space.

Each October, traditional performances such as Awa Ningyo Joruri and Sanbaso Mawashi are held here.