Iya Valley (祖谷渓谷)

Nestled in the heart of Tokushima Prefecture is Iya. Because the Japanese seem to have a national obsession with ranking things, it is known as one of Japan's three "hidden valleys".

Like many foreigners, my interest in visiting Iya came from reading the book Lost Japan by American Alex Kerr. In it, the author recounts his years spent living in this secluded, almost Narnia-esque fantasy land, devoid of modernity.

It's an interesting read, and although I strongly disagreed with around two thirds of what was written, I must admit that his idyllic descriptions of this area peaked my interest.

Reaching and traveling around Iya Valley is a bit difficult, requiring a three hour train ride from Tokushima Station and multiple buses, if you want to see the main sights without a rental car. Learning my lesson from the infrequent island buses of Yakushima, I thoroughly researched the timetable this time, and made sure to coordinate how to get to and from all the places I wanted to visit.

Though now well over ten years ago, even when writing his book, Alex Kerr had already begun to see the changing landscape of Iya due to an influx of tourism. I chatted with a Japanese woman while sipping a yuzu tea sample inside the absolutely mammoth tourist center built near the famous vine bridge. She had last visited Iya some twenty years ago and noted the stark contrast in development.

Indeed, the more accessible west half of Iya Valley is now developed (I must use this term lightly). There is a first-rate onsen, multiple restaurants, a handful of souvenir shops, and the aforementioned gigantic tourist facility. While it didn't feel significantly more modernized than Yakushima, I can understand the debate over whether ever increasing tourism is a good thing or a bad thing for this traditional region.

I enjoyed my trip to Iya very much. The area of course offers some splendid natural views and unique attractions. Though, for me, I must say that I felt significantly more connected to nature during my climb up Ishizuchi Mountain. Even my walks by the local river are a more relaxing experience than bathing with a gaggle of tourists.

I guess in that sense, perhaps one doesn't need to travel to an official "hidden valley" to experience the best of what Japanese nature has to offer.

B.E.W.