One-day model route in Iya and Oboke
- A 1-day drive includes the 9:00 sightseeing boat, Stone Museum, Iya Vine Bridge, Heike Yashiki, and Hotel Hikyo-no-Yu at 16:00.
- The sightseeing boat requires no reservation (adults ¥1,800), while the vine bridge is ¥550 and Stone Museum is ¥800.
- From December to February, the Stone Museum closes Tuesdays and Heike Yashiki closes at 16:00; Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridges close from December.
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This is a one-day route by car for people with no plans or reservations: ride the sightseeing boat at Oboke at 9:00, then visit the Stone Museum, the Iya Vine Bridge and the Heike Yashiki folk museum, and soak in a hot spring in the Iya valley in the evening. The boat needs no reservation and costs ¥1,800 for adults, the vine bridge is ¥550 for adults, and in winter (December to February) the Stone Museum closes on Tuesdays and the Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridges close from December to March.
In short
- Start with the 9:00 boat on the Oboke gorge (about 30 minutes, adults ¥1,800, no reservation).
- Then the Stone Museum, lunch, the Iya Vine Bridge (adults ¥550, parking ¥500) and the Heike Yashiki folk museum (adults ¥500).
- Finish with a day-use bath at Hotel Hikyo-no-Yu (adults ¥1,100).
- In winter the vine bridge closes at 17:00 and the Heike Yashiki at 16:00, so do not run late in the afternoon.
Checked with official pages on November 3, 2026 (Japan time). Prices and hours may change.
Timetable for one day by car in Iya and Oboke
The times are guides based on each facility’s opening and closing times. The route assumes you drive.
| Time (guide) | Stop | Main price |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00 | Oboke Gorge sightseeing boat (about 30 min) | Adults ¥1,800 |
| 10:00 | Yokai Yashiki and Stone Museum | Adults ¥800 |
| 12:00 | Lunch (Restaurant Oboke-kyo Mannaka) | — |
| 13:00 | Iya Vine Bridge | Adults ¥550, parking ¥500 |
| 14:30 | Heike Yashiki Folk Museum | Adults ¥500 |
| 16:00 | Day-use bath at Hotel Hikyo-no-Yu | Adults ¥1,100 |
Sources: Oboke-kyo Mannaka sightseeing boat guide (Japanese), the Iya Vine Bridge page of Oboke Iya Navi, the official tourism site of Miyoshi City (Japanese), and the Awa Navi page for each spot (checked November 3, 2026). A “—” in the table means the price was not checked.
9:00 Oboke Gorge sightseeing boat: 30 minutes in the gorge
The boat goes round trip along the Yoshino River through Oboke Gorge, a national place of scenic beauty, in about 30 minutes (4 km). It runs from 9:00 to 17:00 (last departure 16:30), every day of the year, with no reservation needed; the fare is ¥1,800 for adults and ¥900 for children (age 3 to elementary school). You buy a ticket at the 1st-floor front desk of Restaurant Oboke-kyo Mannaka and fill in a boarding list. It does not sail in high water or strong wind, and runs a shorter trip when the water is low. Pets cannot board.
| Name | Oboke Gorge sightseeing boat |
|---|---|
| Address | Oboke, Yamashiro-cho, Miyoshi City, Tokushima (ticket office inside Restaurant Oboke-kyo Mannaka) |
| Hours / Closed | 9:00–17:00 (last departure 16:30). Open year-round (canceled in strong winds or high water) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
10:00 Yokai Yashiki and Stone Museum
This facility at Michi-no-Eki Oboke costs ¥800 for adults and ¥350 for junior high and elementary school students. A special online booking discount is ¥600 for adults and ¥300 for junior high and elementary school students. It is closed on Tuesdays in December, January and February (the next day if Tuesday is a holiday), and last entry is 16:40. It is a 5-minute walk from JR Oboke Station, and there is parking.
| Name | Yokai Yashiki and Stone Museum |
|---|---|
| Address | 1553-1 Kamimyo, Yamashiro-cho, Miyoshi City, Tokushima |
| Hours / Closed | 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:40). Closed Tuesdays in December–February (following day if a holiday) |
| Phone | 0883-84-1489 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
13:00 Iya Vine Bridge
It is 45 m long, 2 m wide and 14 m above the water, and is a nationally designated important tangible folk cultural property. Admission is ¥550 for adults (junior high school and older) and ¥350 for elementary school students, and ¥500 per adult for groups of 20 or more. It is open 8:00 to 17:00 from September to March, so in winter it closes at 17:00. Parking is ¥500 for a regular car.
It is lit up every day from 19:00 to 21:30, but you cannot cross during those hours. Also in Iya, the Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridges are closed from December to March, so in winter choose the Iya Vine Bridge.
| Name | Iya Vine Bridge |
|---|---|
| Address | 162-2 Zentoku, Nishi-Iyayama-son, Miyoshi City, Tokushima |
| Hours / Closed | September–March 8:00–17:00 (April–June 8:00–18:00, July–August 7:30–18:30). Lit up 19:00–21:30 (crossing not permitted) |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
14:30 Heike Yashiki Folk Museum
A building that is a tangible cultural property is used as a museum, and you can see the thatched gassho-style roof and an attic blackened by nearly 200 years of fire in the hearth. Admission is ¥500 for adults (junior high school and older) and ¥300 for elementary school students. It closes at 17:00 from March to November and at 16:00 from December to February. Temporary closures are announced on Instagram.
| Name | Heike Yashiki Folk Museum |
|---|---|
| Address | 46 Tozaioka, Nishi-Iyayama-son, Miyoshi City, Tokushima |
| Hours / Closed | March–November 9:00–17:00, December–February 9:00–16:00. Open year-round (subject to temporary closures) |
| Phone | 0883-84-1408 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
16:00 Day-use bath at Hotel Hikyo-no-Yu
This hot spring inn in the Iya valley charges ¥1,100 for adults and ¥600 for children for a day-use bath. On weekdays it opens from 15:00 (reception until 19:00), and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 12:00 (reception until 17:00); it is closed on Tuesdays. On weekends and holidays you can also go earlier, right after the boat. There is parking for 100 cars.
If you want to stay overnight, lodgings are compared on the Japanese page 10 hot spring inns in Tokushima (Japanese).
| Name | Hotel Hikyo-no-Yu (Day-use bath) |
|---|---|
| Address | 391 Oinouchi, Nishi-Iyayama-son, Miyoshi City, Tokushima |
| Hours / Closed | Day-use bath: Weekdays 15:00–20:00 (reception until 19:00), Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 12:00–18:00 (reception until 17:00). Closed Tuesdays |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Things to know about Iya and Oboke in Tokushima
- You can reach the vine bridge by city bus from JR Oboke Station, but to see 5 places in one day, a car is the realistic choice.
- In winter, closing times and closed days change by facility. The vine bridge closes at 17:00 and the Heike Yashiki at 16:00, and the Stone Museum’s last entry is 16:40, so do not let the afternoon run late.
- Where you stay changes how the day ends. Hotel Iya Onsen has only one pick-up from Oboke Station, at 15:10.
Sources
10 pages we checked
- Oboke-kyo Mannaka: sightseeing boat
- Oboke Iya Navi (Miyoshi City official tourism site): Iya Vine Bridge
- Oboke Iya Navi (Miyoshi City official tourism site): Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridges
- Awa Navi: Iya Vine Bridge
- Awa Navi: Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridges
- Awa Navi: Yokai Yashiki and Stone Museum
- Awa Navi: Heike Yashiki Folk Museum
- Awa Navi: Hotel Hikyo-no-Yu
- Hotel Hikyo-no-Yu: official site
- Japanese version of this page (日本語版)
Checked with official pages on November 3, 2026 (Japan time).
