{"id":2281,"date":"2026-10-22T16:47:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T16:47:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/?p=2281"},"modified":"2026-10-22T16:47:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T16:47:28","slug":"iya-valley-vine-bridges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/th\/iya-valley-vine-bridges\/","title":{"rendered":"Iya Valley: Vine Bridges and Two Buses a Day (2026 Bus and Bridge Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Iya Valley is a steep river gorge in western Tokushima, Shikoku, where you can still cross bridges woven from mountain vines. Getting there without a car is the real challenge: the main bus route into the valley has eight buses a day each way, and the furthest bridges get just two buses a day, and only in season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is not a reason to skip it. It is a reason to plan it properly. This guide starts with the October 2026 bus changes and real timetables, then covers the Iya no Kazurabashi bridge, the double vine bridges at Oku-Iya, the Oboke gorge boat, and what closes for winter 2026\u201327.<\/p>\n\n\n

\u00a5550<\/p>

Kazurabashi crossing<\/p><\/div>

8 a day<\/p>

Buses each way, Ikeda\u2013Iya<\/p><\/div>

2 a day<\/p>

Seasonal buses, Kubo\u2013Oku-Iya<\/p><\/div>

1 Dec<\/p>

Oku-Iya bridges close till spring<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

How do you get to the Iya Valley without a car?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By train to Oboke or Awa-Ikeda on the JR Dosan Line, then by Shikoku Kotsu bus. The fastest way in from Honshu is the Nanpu limited express from Okayama: the Nanpu 1 leaves Okayama at 7:08 and reaches Oboke at 8:47, a 1 hour 39 minute ride. The fare is \u00a54,270 with an unreserved seat (Ekitan<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Kochi the trip is shorter. The Nanpu 24 leaves Kochi at 17:13 and stops at Oboke at 18:07 and Awa-Ikeda at 18:25 before running on to Okayama (JR West timetable<\/a>). Local trains between Awa-Ikeda and Oboke take about 39 minutes, but there can be gaps of several hours between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are deciding whether a rail pass pays off for a Shikoku loop, read is the JR Pass worth it<\/a> first. Highway buses also reach Miyoshi from Osaka in about 3 hours 50 minutes (Miyoshi City Tourism<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bus route (Shikoku Kotsu)<\/th>Runs between<\/th>Frequency from 1 Oct 2026<\/th>Use it for<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Nishi-Iya Line<\/td>Awa-Ikeda Bus Terminal \u2013 Oboke Station \u2013 Oboke-kyo \u2013 Kazurabashi Yume Butai<\/td>8 round trips a day (up from 6)<\/td>Getting into the valley<\/td><\/tr>
Iya Keikei Line (new)<\/td>Kazurabashi Yume Butai \u2013 Hi-no-ji Gorge \u2013 Hotel Iya Onsen<\/td>3 round trips a day<\/td>Peeing Boy statue, gorge viewpoints<\/td><\/tr>
Higashi-Iya Line<\/td>Kazurabashi Yume Butai \u2013 Kazurabashi \u2013 Ochiai \u2013 Kubo<\/td>4 round trips a day<\/td>Ochiai village, connection to Oku-Iya<\/td><\/tr>
Tsurugi climbing bus (seasonal)<\/td>Kubo \u2013 Oku-Iya \u2013 Nagoro \u2013 Mitsunokoshi<\/td>2 round trips a day, in season only<\/td>Oku-Iya double vine bridges<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The old Iya shuttle from Oboke Gorge has been discontinued, replaced by the new Iya Keikei Line (Shikoku Kotsu<\/a>). Older blog posts and some guidebooks still describe the shuttle, so ignore them.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Iya
Iya no Kazurabashi in autumn. Photo: Hiroaki Kaneko<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n

What does the Iya Valley bus timetable look like in 2026?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the times that matter, from the timetables Shikoku Kotsu published for its 1 October 2026 revision. The Nishi-Iya Line timetable is a scanned PDF we could not read in full, so check its times on the Shikoku Kotsu Nishi-Iya Line timetable<\/a> before you travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higashi-Iya Line: Kazurabashi to Ochiai and Kubo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Kazurabashi Yume Butai<\/th>Kazurabashi stop<\/th>Ochiai<\/th>Kubo (arrive)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
9:30<\/td>9:35<\/td>10:12<\/td>10:16<\/td><\/tr>
12:30<\/td>12:35<\/td>13:12<\/td>13:16<\/td><\/tr>
15:24<\/td>15:29<\/td>16:11<\/td>16:15<\/td><\/tr>
17:05<\/td>17:10<\/td>17:47<\/td>17:51<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Kubo<\/th>Ochiai<\/th>Kazurabashi stop<\/th>Kazurabashi Yume Butai (arrive)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
8:14<\/td>8:18<\/td>8:55<\/td>9:00<\/td><\/tr>
12:14<\/td>12:18<\/td>12:55<\/td>13:00<\/td><\/tr>
14:14<\/td>14:18<\/td>14:55<\/td>15:00<\/td><\/tr>
16:44<\/td>16:48<\/td>17:25<\/td>17:30<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Source: Shikoku Kotsu Higashi-Iya Line timetable<\/a>, revised 1 October 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iya Keikei Line: to Hi-no-ji Gorge and Hotel Iya Onsen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Buses leave Kazurabashi Yume Butai at 10:35, 13:35 and 14:35, pass Hi-no-ji Gorge 9 minutes later and reach Hotel Iya Onsen 14 minutes after leaving. They turn round 3 minutes later and are back at Kazurabashi Yume Butai at 11:06, 14:06 and 15:06. There are no buses on 1 January (Shikoku Kotsu<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fares<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fares on the Shikoku Kotsu fare table for the Iya lines: Awa-Ikeda Bus Terminal to Kazurabashi \u00a51,290, Oboke Station to Kazurabashi \u00a5670, Oboke Gorge to Kazurabashi \u00a5730, Kazurabashi to Kubo \u00a5900, and Awa-Ikeda to Kubo \u00a51,790 (Shikoku Kotsu fare table<\/a>). Carry coins and \u00a51,000 notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iya no Kazurabashi: is the vine bridge as scary as it looks?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A bit, and that is the point. The bridge is 45 m long and 2 m wide, and the Iya River runs 14 m below (Miyoshi City Tourism<\/a>). The deck is open slats with the water visible below, and traffic goes one way only, so once you are on, you keep going (japan-guide.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is made from 5 to 6 tonnes of shirakuchi-kazura (hardy kiwi) vine, rebuilt every three years, and is a National Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property. Local legend links it to Taira clan refugees who hid in the valley (Tokushima Prefecture<\/a>). Steel cables are hidden inside the vines for safety (japan-guide.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iya no Kazurabashi<\/th>2026 details<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Crossing fee<\/td>Adults \u00a5550, primary-school children \u00a5350, under-6s free; PayPay accepted<\/td><\/tr>
Hours<\/td>April\u2013June 8:00\u201318:00; July\u2013August 7:30\u201318:30; September\u2013March 8:00\u201317:00<\/td><\/tr>
Closed<\/td>Open every day<\/td><\/tr>
Night light-up<\/td>19:00\u201321:30 daily; you can look but not cross<\/td><\/tr>
Parking<\/td>Kazurabashi Yume Butai lot, \u00a5500 per car, about 5 minutes’ walk<\/td><\/tr>
Nearby<\/td>Biwa Falls, about 50 m tall, about 50 m to the left after you cross<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

All details in the table are from Miyoshi City Tourism<\/a>. The Shikoku Kotsu tour bus is at the bridge from 13:10 to 13:55, so come in the morning for a quieter crossing, and wear shoes, not sandals.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Vine
On the Kazurabashi vine bridge. Photo: ume-y<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Are the Oku-Iya double vine bridges worth the extra trip?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have a second day, yes. Deep in the eastern half of the Iya Valley, two vine bridges hang side by side over the river: the “male” bridge, 42 m long and 12 m above the water, and the smaller “female” bridge, 22 m long and 4 m up. Next to them is a yaen, a wooden cart on a rope you pull yourself across the river in (GLTJP<\/a>; japan-guide.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is quieter than Kazurabashi because it is so hard to reach. Entry costs \u00a5550 for adults and \u00a5350 for children. It opens 8:00\u201317:00 in April to June and in October to November, and 7:30\u201318:00 in July to September. It is closed from December to March (GLTJP<\/a>). There is a free car park with about 30 spaces (Tabi-mag<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two-buses-a-day problem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here is where the title comes from. To get to Oku-Iya without a car, you ride the Higashi-Iya Line to Kubo, then change to the seasonal bus towards Mitsunokoshi, the trailhead for Mt Tsurugi. That bus runs just two round trips a day (Tokushima Prefecture<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2026 it runs daily from 1 October to 3 November, then only on weekends and holidays from 7 to 23 November. After that there is no bus until next season. The bridges close at the end of November anyway, so a winter visit means a car or a taxi (Tokushima Prefecture<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a day trip that works, take a rental car from Awa-Ikeda or Oboke. Miyoshi City Tourism lists two local firms, Miyoshi Rent-a-Car and Oboke Rent-a-Car, and recommends booking ahead (Miyoshi City Tourism<\/a>). Note that large tour buses cannot go beyond Kazurabashi towards Oku-Iya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What else is there in the Iya Valley?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ochiai village<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ochiai is a farming village spread down a steep mountain slope above the Iya River. In 2005 it was named a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, covering about 32.3 hectares (Agency for Cultural Affairs<\/a>). Eight old farmhouses have been converted into places to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the bus, Ochiai is a natural mid-day stop: the 12:30 from Kazurabashi Yume Butai gets to Ochiai at 13:12, and the bus back passes at 14:18. That gives you about an hour to walk up through the village. Our ryokan guide<\/a> explains how to book traditional stays like these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nagoro, the scarecrow village<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Up at Nagoro, near the Nagoro Dam, about 100 scarecrows are placed around the village, each modelled on a former resident. Only around 20 people still live there (Tabi-mag<\/a>). It is on the seasonal Kubo\u2013Mitsunokoshi bus route, so you can pair it with Oku-Iya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hi-no-ji Gorge and the Peeing Boy statue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The new Iya Keikei Line runs along the gorge to the Hi-no-ji Gorge viewpoint and on to Hotel Iya Onsen. For the Peeing Boy (Shoben Kozo) statue, get off at the Hotel Iya Onsen stop and walk about 5 minutes (Miyoshi City Tourism<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a catch. The bus turns round at Hotel Iya Onsen 3 minutes after it arrives, and the 14:52 is the last one back. So by bus, the statue works only if you stay at the hotel or walk back to Kazurabashi, which Miyoshi City puts at about 9 km and 2 hours 40 minutes (Miyoshi City Tourism<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Oku-Iya
The Oku-Iya double vine bridges. Photo: \u4eac\u6d5c\u306b\u3051<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n

Is the Oboke gorge boat worth doing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, if you have an hour spare near Oboke Station. The Oboke Gorge sightseeing boat takes about 30 minutes for a 4 km round trip through the gorge. Adults pay \u00a51,800 and children \u00a5900. It runs 9:00\u201317:00, last boat 16:30, all year, with no booking needed (Oboke-kyo Mannaka<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trips are cancelled in high water or strong wind and can be shortened when the river is low. The landing is about 25 minutes’ walk from JR Oboke Station, or take the Nishi-Iya Line to the Oboke-kyo stop next door (Miyoshi City Tourism<\/a>). The operator posted a fare-change notice in June 2026, so check the price on the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too much planning? Take the tour bus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shikoku Kotsu runs a day sightseeing bus that covers the lot: Kazurabashi, Hi-no-ji Gorge, the Peeing Boy, Michi-no-eki Oboke and the boat. It costs \u00a513,000 for adults including entry fees and a local lunch, leaves JR Awa-Ikeda Station at 10:55 (or JR Oboke at 11:45, by reservation) and returns about 16:50 (Shikoku Kotsu<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It runs on set days from April to November 2026 and can be booked in English on Japan Bus Online up to two days before. The page does not mention an English-speaking guide.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Oboke
The Oboke Gorge boat. Photo: \u30d6\u30eb\u30fc\u30ce\u30fb\u30d7\u30e9\u30b9<\/a> \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n

What is the Iya Valley like in late autumn and winter 2026\u201327?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Autumn is the best season. Leaves around Kazurabashi usually start turning in early November and peak from early to mid November (Walkerplus<\/a>). For more Japanese leaf spots and dates, see our Japan autumn leaves calendar<\/a> \u0e41\u0e25\u0e30 best fall foliage spots for 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n