Printed by the local government and available in Japanese or English, this is an accurate road map with clear explanations for points of interest, trail-heads, and other less known landmarks.
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Tsurugi is popular with hikers but has only basic facilities.ĭetailed free tourist maps are available at any tourist point in or near the valley. The far-off hamlet of Mi-no-Koshi (見ノ越) at the base of Mt. The historic hamlet of Ochiai (落合) in eastern Higashi-Iya is registered as an important national preservation district due to its collection of traditional homes, terraced farm plots, and ancient walking paths. The largest district on the eastern side (Higashi-Iya) is Kyojo (京上), with many facilities. In the western half, the 'downtown' section of central Nishi-Iya is the most condensed as is the tourist area around the Kazurabashi. There are dozens of small settlements (some abandoned) on the mountain sides along the main road. Traversing the entire length of the valley by car takes over two hours. The 60-km-long valley is divided in two: the more visited and (slightly) more developed Nishi-Iya (西祖谷 West Iya) and the more remote Higashi-Iya (東祖谷 East Iya), which is also known as Oku-Iya (奥祖谷 Deep Iya). Though the valley has developed more since Kerr first came, Iya largely remains stuck in a time-warp compared to the rest of modern Japan and most of the valley still remains remote, unspoiled, and traditional: the Iya Gorge section at the start of the valley remains unmarred by development, the overall natural splendor of the valley proves to be a great escape while soaking in the bounty of its hotsprings, the tall peaks offer some of the finest hiking in Shikoku, and many of the less-visited mountainside hamlets offer glimpses into a past way of life that somehow still clings on here even though it has utterly vanished elsewhere in Japan. The valley was raised into the Japanese and Western consciousness by outspoken Japanese-culture conservationist Alex Kerr, whose book Lost Japan ( ISBN 0864423705) presented an idyllic picture of a misty valley stuck in a time warp to days gone by. Supposedly a hiding place for the fleeing samurai of the defeated Heike clan from centuries past, the isolation of the Iya valley has a rich history of being a waypoint for wanderers and a place one could go to be away from it all. One of Japan's Three Hidden Valleys, Iya has dramatic mountain scenery, traditional thatched roof homes, and historic vine bridges. The area is administered by Miyoshi City. Iya Valley (祖谷 Iya) is a remote mountain valley deep in the heart of Shikoku.
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