Seasons
The changing seasons bring new sights, sounds and experiences
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Spring
The days are getting longer and the plum and cherry start to blossom. Warmer weather and blue skies make hiking attractive.
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Summer
The long, hot days are ideal for outdoor adventure. Splashing in the rivers and sitting out under the stars in the evening brings welcome cool.
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Autumn
The leaves start to turn and the valleys become a patchwork of colour. Cooler nights stimulate an appetite for game hotpots and other warming food.
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Winter
Clear blue skies are interspersed with dramatic cloud and sometimes snow. The warm hearth of the kominka is the perfect place to settle in for some hot sake.
By Bus / Taxi / Car
Enjoy your unique experience while traveling freely by bus, taxi, or rental car.
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TaxiIya area's private taxi tour with a guide
A driver and guide from Iya will give you a tour of the area. Besides visiting popular tourist spots such as Vine Bridge, you will explore the village and go trekking in the mountains if you wish. The guide will give an insight into Iya's tradition and contemporary life through a local's eye. Enjoy a leisurely ride on a spacious minibus.
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TaxiMysterious Oku-Iya Tour
This is a tour to visit the living and majestic scenery of the mountains of Oku-Iya, which is said to be a mysterious place.
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TaxiA course to see Oboke and Iya's 3 major sights in a taxi
The course lets you enjoy the famous tourist spots (Iya Valley, Iya Vine Bridge, Oboke Valley) of...
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BusA Fixed Route Bus Tour of Vine Bridge and Oboke Valley
The course takes you on a tour of popular sightseeing spots of Oboke and Iya regions, "Iya Vine Bridge"...
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BusA course to see Oboke and Iya's 3 major sights in a taxi
Enjoy the famous sightseeing spots (Iya Valley, Iya Vine Bridge, and Oboke Valley) of Oboke and Iya...
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TaxiA course for appreciating the spring blooms of Mima City
Many flowers add color to Mima City in April, including Japan’s national flower, the "cherry blossom,"...
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TaxiA course for seeing the history and traditional crafts of Mima City
The tour takes you through the history of Mima City. You can view the stately architecture and...
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Bus & TaxiMt. Tsurugi Hiking Tour (Mima City edition)
Enjoy the fresh greenery and crimson foliage during their seasons in Mt. Tsurugi’s breath-taking natural surroundings...
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TaxiA time travel tour of Higashi-Miyoshi-cho in a taxi
The taxi tour takes you on a journey of seeing the historical sites of Higashi-Miyoshi in Nishi-Awa...
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BusMt. Tsurugi Hiking and Hot Spring Tour (Tsurugi-cho edition)
The shortest route from the station to one of Japan’s famous mountains, Tsurugi. There are hot spring...
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Rental CarsEnjoy Nishi-Awa - Historical trail course -
The tour requires 3 nights' stay to see Nishi-Awa. It lets you thoroughly experience the history and culture of "Nishi-Awa," regarded as a fairyland.
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TaxiSea of Clouds Appreciation Plan
Enjoy the superb view of a sea of clouds（Hachigo-giri）spreading under your eyes in Iya valley/Oboke Gorge,
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Rental CarsExplore historic Higashi Miyoshi by rental car
Visit the giant, thousand-year old camphor tree in Higashi Miyoshi, the rock shelters in Kamodanigawa where ancient Jomon people lived,
On Foot
Nishi-Awa Rift Valley, Traditional culture experience, Sustainable life
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MINI HIKING - Imakubo Settlement Course
A course where you can experience the old way of life by walking through a village road that has been used since ancient times to travel between villages.
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MINI HIKING - Iya Valley Course
A course to enjoy the majestic view along the Iya valley.
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MINI HIKING - Nishiu Settlement/Oboke Course
A course where you can see the superb view of Oboke and Koboke and the magnificent Shikoku Mountains from a hill.
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MINI HIKING - Yokai Course
A course to find the wisdom of living on steep slopes, and the path of the Yokai tradition (supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons in Japanese folklore).
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MINI HIKING - Iya Valley/Vine Bridge Sightseeing Course
A course where you can enjoy walking along the old Iya highway while watching the beautiful natural surroundings.
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MINI HIKING - Tokuzen Settlement Course
A course in a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage field where you can visit the Tokuzen residence and a shrine and experience mountain life.
Tours
Nishi-Awa Rift Valley, Traditional culture experience, Sustainable life
Food Stories
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Farm to Table Experience in Mima
Our farm-to-table outdoor experience in Mima, Tokushima Prefecture, brings fresh food to your table directly from a farmer called Kotorine.The food is harvested on the farm and prepared into simple, beautiful dishes that guests can taste on the spot.This special experience is not only a wonderful meal in an unforgettable setting, but also a chance to see and learn first hand how the farmers and food suppliers Mima grow their crops.
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Explore Nagoro, the Village of Dolls, and make your own doll
Nagoro, famous as the Village of Dolls, is a mysterious place where life-sized dolls outnumber the real, live residents. Ayano Tsukimi, began creating the dolls to represent villagers who passed away or moved to the city. The dolls, also known as scarecrows, do farm work, stand around gossiping, and sit waiting for the bus. At the abandoned school, the dolls are having a community event in the gym. Some people find them creepy, others find them charming. They've become famous all over the world. Tsukimi, who is still making new dolls, shows you around the village, explaining how she makes them, and telling the stories behind some of the people represented. You'll enjoy her sense of humour.
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Seasonal farming, cooking and eating in Iya Valley
The Iya Valley is home to a system of sustainable agriculture that has been practised for over a thousand years. The valley is too steep for growing rice, and instead, potatoes and various grains are cultivated organically, using grass as mulch and fertiliser.You drop in on the Inooka family who have been farming for many years in Iya. You can experience seasonal life and farming in Iya, such as picking edible wild plants and tea in the spring, harvesting summer vegetables, and making konjac and hay stooks in autumn. You use the freshly harvested vegetables to cook local dishes with the family. Grandma Inooka shows you how to roast the tea leaves to produce the flavourful tea enjoyed in Iya. It's hot work, but very rewarding. You can take some tea home as a souvenir.
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Sake brewing and hirarayaki lunch (including sake tasting)
At Miyoshikiku Brewery, founded in 1896, you can take part in sake brewing. During sake brewing from November to April, you can help the brewers in the day’s work, such as carrying steamed rice, adding kōji to the rice, and stirring and pressing the mash. Miyoshikiku is a small brewery with few staff, and your assistance with the labor-intensive work is very welcome. You’ll learn the process of making sake and the secrets of fermentation. On days when there’s pressing, you can also sample amazing freshly-pressed sake. Participants receive a gift of sake.
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Iya soba-making & rustic lunch
Experience the ancient art of soba-making (buckwheat noodles) at a recognized globally important agricultural heritage site.Enjoy regional dishes made with an abundance of local ingredients in a pleasant ambiance that makes you feel at home. If lucky, you might get to listen to the old folksong, Kohikibushi.
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Enjoy a lunch prepared by a private chef in a samurai residence
Enjoy an elegant lunch prepared by a chef from a local restaurant in the Iya area's largest samurai residence with an impressive thatched roof from about 250 years ago.The Hoko cedar, Tokushima Prefecture's natural monument, in the garden is worth a look.
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Lunch at Fuchimyo Settlement, a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Site
Enjoy a special lunch with freshly picked vegetables from the fields of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage site while enjoying the scenery of the settlement.
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Townscape with Important Traditional Buildings and Feast on a Yusanbako Lunch
Enjoy the Local meals packed in Tokushima’s traditional lunch box called Yusanbako.
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Inn Uribo's Gibier Lunch
Enjoy the Gibier food prepared by the inn owner, who is also a hunter and a farmer.
Guided Tours
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SAVOTTA Sauna TreckSAVOTTA Sauna Treck
This sauna trek tour is a fun way to get into nature, with SAVOTTA, a sauna tent from Finland. After trekking along the trail that leads to Mt. Tsurugi, you'll be guided to an outdoor sauna at a secluded riverbank. This is a medium temperature, Finnish-style sauna.
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Guided Village Tour in Tsurugi
In this tour, you can feel the nature of Tsurugi Town and deepen your understanding of World Agricultural Heritage. First, you will visit Sarukai Village, which is built on a very steep slope in the Iya region, and requires special techniques and cultivars for agriculture. Next, you will enjoy lunch at Komichaya, one of the few vegan restaurants in Tsurugi Town that uses local ingredients. Later, you will visit an agricultural blacksmith and study the process of making agricultural tools.
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Yoga Experience under the Giant Camphor Tree
You can enjoy a yoga experience under a 1000 year old tree. Please come and refresh your mind in this special environment.
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Travels in Iya, Alex Kerr’s “Secret Tour”
We have organized an exclusive tour with a local tour guide, designed by the scholar of Oriental Studies, Mr. Alex Kerr. Participants will learn about the history and traditional culture with the local tour guide in the “tour for experiencing the as-yet-unknown and novel charms of the Iya region.” At the end of the tour, a special lunch called “Iya Nouvelle,” will be served, prepared exclusively for the visit.
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Meditation experience at Hashikura-ji Temple
Take a ropeway ride offering stunning views, and head for Hashikura-ji Temple overlooking Yoshino River. Practice Shingon Buddhism's Gachirinkan meditation with the chief priest to engage in quiet self-reflection. (The session comes with a complimentary floral incense paste.) After meditation, the chief priest will give you a guided tour of the temple grounds.
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River touring on Yoshino River
Enjoy a relaxing kayak ride down Yoshino River with a guide. You will get a short lesson in kayaking, kayak down the river, and have a coffee break at a scenic spot mid-way. The small-group tour lets you enjoy the river at a slow pace and learn about the history of the people who have lived with the river.
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Wakimachi Udatsu old street Enjoyment
After enjoying Wakimachi Udatsu old street with a local guide, you can experience indigo dyeing the traditional industries. This course includes stopping for a coffee at a café renobated from an old private house.
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BROMPTON POTTERING - Iya Valley Course
The Nishi-Awa area’s highlight course that runs along the Iya Valley, a winner of two Michelin Green Guide stars.
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BROMPTON POTTERING - Ikeda Dam Lake Course
Enjoy a trip that traces the history of water transportation on the Yoshino River and the prosperity of old townscape.
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BROMPTON POTTERING - Wakimachi Udatsu old street Course
A trip where you can enjoy encountering the townscape of the preservation area of important traditional buildings and stylish Café.
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BROMPTON POTTERING - Mima Temple Town Historical Course
A course for discovering history of old town while dropping by some historical site such as temples, tumuli and ruins.
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BROMPTON POTTERING - Sadamitsu-Ichiu GIAHS Course
A course where you can experience mountain life at a certified Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System(GIAHS) site.
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Eco-friendly Style Hiking in Mt. Tsurugi
Enjoy a casual hike on a well-maintained trail and lift.