Iya valley
| Iya valley | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| location | Tokushima Prefecture ( Japan ) | |
| Waters | Iya river | |
| Mountains | Mountain range on Shikoku island | |
| Geographical location | 33 ° 52 '31 " N , 133 ° 50' 7" E | |
|
||
| length | 10 km | |
The Iya Valley ( Japanese 祖 谷 渓 , Iya-kei , 祖 谷 谷 , Iya-dani or 祖 谷 渓 谷 , Iya-keikoku ) is a 10 km long notched valley in the west of the Japanese prefecture of Tokushima .
geography
The valley follows the Iya River ( 祖谷川 , Iya-kawa ) which is part of the Yoshino river system. The river has its source on the western slope of Mount Tsurugi ( 剣 山 , Tsurugi-san ), which, at 1954.7 m, is the second highest point on Shikoku Island .
The Iya Valley used to be divided into two villages, Higashiiyayama ( 東 祖 谷 山村 , - son , "East Iya") and Nishiiyayama ( 西祖 谷 山村 , -son , "West Iya"). March 2006 were merged with other villages in the area to form the small town of Miyoshi . Today they form districts.
tourism
Although access to the region has improved, the Iya Valley and the inner parts of Shikoku remain remote and difficult to enter, which in the past has made the valley a preferred haven for refugees and defeated warriors. It is said that the members of the Taira clan sought refuge in the Iya Valley in the late 12th century after their defeat by the Minamoto clan in the Gempei War . In the present day the Iya Valley is enjoying increasing popularity as a tourist destination. While the western part of the valley has good road connections and several tourist hotels , the eastern part of the valley, Oku-Iya ( 奥祖 谷 , "Inner-Iya"), is still quite remote, which, however, also helps to preserve and protect the local nature contributes. Several liana bridges, once the only way to cross rivers, continue to span the valley and are now a popular tourist attraction.
The Kazura Bridge ( か ず ら 橋 , Kazura-bashi ; 33 ° 52 ′ 31 ″ N , 133 ° 50 ′ 7 ″ E ) spans the valley with a length of 45 m, a height of 14 m and a width of 2 m. This was awarded as an important cultural asset of Japan .
photos
Koi banners fly over Oboke Koboke
Kazura Bridge in the Iya Valley
Waterfall in the Iya Valley
