Hot Springs by Train: Tokushima Iya Onsenー One of Japan’s Three Great Hidden Regions, where dwells the Heike Clan!

Feel the thrill of crossing the Kazurabashi Bridge over the Iya Valley

Hot springs you can reach by train! Toreabi picks the best destinations and shares the best things to do, while gaining easy access to hot springs.

Tucked deep in the mountains of Tokushima Prefecture, Iya Onsen is one of Japan’s Three Great Hidden Regions, and a place that feels like it exists in its own time. Soak in the open-air, detoxing baths of Iya Valley, which are accessed by cable car, and then carefully make your way across the swaying Kazurabashi Bridge. Before you know it, your senses have come alive.

Getting to Iya Onsen

It is 98 km from JR Takamatsu Station to JR Oboke Station, the gateway to Iya Onsen. Start by boarding the JR Yosan Line at Takamatsu, and in 33 minutes you’ll arrive at Tadotsu. From there, cover the remaining 65 km to Oboke aboard the luxurious sightseeing train Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari (“The Story of a Thousand Years at the Heart of Shikoku”), arriving in around 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari is a premium sightseeing train that makes it effortless to enjoy a refined getaway steeped in history. Sink into plush sofa seating, watch the ever-changing gorge scenery scroll past the windows, and savor dishes made from local ingredients. It is a journey of pure indulgence from start to finish.

How to Enjoy Iya Onsen, Tokushima

Stay | Hotel Iyaonsen

Deep in verdant mountains, at the end of a winding path, sits the Hotel Iyaonsen, the only accommodation in the heart of the Iya Valley, one of Japan’s Three Great Hidden Regions. A cable car takes you down to a natural hot spring open-air bath fed directly from the source. This inn is the perfect place to escape the rush of everyday, amid mountain scenery and with seasonal cuisine made from local produce.

Hot springs have bubbled up throughout the Iya Valley for centuries. Legend has it that the Heike clan, fleeing into the mountains, discovered these very waters and bathed here to recover their strength. Hot springs once ran so freely across the valley that the area retains the name “Furonotani” (“Bath Valley”) to this day.

The water is an alkaline simple sulfur spring. Rich in alkaline minerals, it has a silky, smooth quality that gently softens and removes old skin cells, earning it the nickname “beauty spring.”

Dining lets you savor the mountain’s bounties, with “jishoku cuisine” and traditional Iya-style Japanese dishes, featuring dishes rich in flavors such as mountain vegetables, buckwheat noodles, and assorted grains. Certain courses also include the mellow, subtly sweet Awa beef, a local wagyu variety.

After dark, with no other buildings in sight, the inn’s solitary setting rewards you with a sky blanketed in stars, a luxury only a true “Ikkenn-yado” (lone inn) can offer.

Experience |  Iya Kazurabashi Bridge

The Kazurabashi Bridge is woven from shirakuchi kazura vines and weighs around six tonnes. Spanning 45 meters in length and 2 meters wide, it hangs 14 meters above the river below. Every creak and sway underfoot makes the crossing a genuine adventure.

Cross to the other side and turn left, and 50 meters ahead, Biwa Falls comes into view. The dramatic cascade of around 40 meters is said to be where Heike refugees once played the biwa lute in hiding.

Nestled in the steep Shikoku Mountains, the Iya region was called Onden Village. Legend has it that the Iya region sheltered Taira no Kunimori and the retinue of Emperor Antoku after their defeat at the Battle of Yashima, as they sought to revive the Heike clan. Long cut off from the outside world, this hidden community preserved medieval customs and a way of life that survives to this day.

The origin of the bridge itself is the subject of debate. Some say it was designed to be cut down quickly if enemies approached. Others credit Kobo Daishi, the Buddhist monk who traveled Shikoku, with building it to help struggling villagers.

Every night between 19:00 and 21:30, the bridge is illuminated, creating a hauntingly beautiful sight well worth lingering for.

Iya Kazurabashi Bridge

Address: 162-2 Zentoku, Nishi-Iya Yamamura, Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture
Tel: 0883-76-0877 (Miyoshi City Tourist Information)
Hours: Apr–Jun 8:00–18:00 / Jul–Aug 7:30–18:30 / Sep–Mar 8:00–17:00
*Gates close at the final time listed.
Closed: Never (open year-round)
Access: 30 min by bus from JR Oboke Station
Admission: Adults (junior high school and above) ¥550 / Elementary school students ¥350 / Under school age free
URL: https://miyoshi-tourism.jp/en/spot/46/

Eat | Kazurabashi Blueberry Farm & Kominka Cafe Tenku

Perched on a hill surrounded by the mountains of Iya, this cafe occupies a lovingly renovated traditional farmhouse. Inside, beneath a thatched roof, tatami rooms open onto an irori hearth; letting you enjoy the traditional layout of an Iya farmhouse. Stepping in feels like being welcomed into someone’s home.

The menu stars handmade pizzas and sweets, all made with home-grown or locally sourced ingredients.

The highlight is the “Goushi-imo Pizza,” topped with goushi-imo, a potato variety native to Iya grown using the “Nishi-Awa Steep Slope Farming” method, now registered as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. Organic and pesticide-free, these potatoes have a depth of flavor that you won’t find anywhere else.

Take your time savoring it paired with a fragrant espresso from an authentic Italian machine or a cup of locally grown tea.

In summer, the blueberry farm opens for harvesting experiences. Some varieties produce coin-sized berries, while others ripen to a soft pink. All best eaten straight from the branch. After picking, you can even make your own blueberry-topped pizza (additional fee).

Come and taste the landscape of Iya with all five senses.

Kazurabashi Blueberry Farm & Kominka Cafe Tenku

Address: 63 Kanjou, Nishi-Iya Yamamura, Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture
Tel: 090-2827-8323 *Blueberry picking requires advance reservation (via official website or phone).
Hours: 10:00–16:30
Closed: Thursdays, Fridays, and mid-December to mid-March *Blueberry picking: mid-June to end of August (approx.)
Access: From JR Oboke Station, take the bus 21 mins to “Kazurabashi Yumebutai,” then walk 30 mins. *If you want to take a taxi, we recommend booking in advance.
URL: https://cafetenku.com/

Shop | Boke Mart

One minute on foot from JR Oboke Station, Boke Mart is a symbol of Oboke, always buzzing with locals and visitors alike. Its motto says it all: “The Real Thing, Locally Made.” The shelves are stocked with area-grown produce including Iya konnyaku and iwa-dofu (“rock tofu”), all carefully selected local.

The star of the show is boke-age, a patented creation by store manager Yukiko Yamaguchi. Somewhere between aburaage and atsuage (two varieties of fried tofu) in texture, it delivers a rich, concentrated soybean flavor unlike anything you’ve tried. The classic way to eat it is lightly grilled and topped with grated daikon, spring onion, and soy sauce, though it also makes a surprisingly good pizza base. A recipe card comes with every purchase.

Across the road, Boke Mart No. 2 lets you try local specialties on the spot, including Iya soba (¥450) and boke-age (¥750) cooked to order.

Boke Mart

Address: Tokuzen Nishi 7, Nishi-Iya Yamamura, Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture
Tel: 0883-84-1111
Hours: 8:00–18:00 (Sundays 9:00–15:00)
Closed: Never (open year-round)
Access: 1 min walk from JR Oboke Station
URL: https://miyoshi-city.jp/spot/歩危マート/

Enjoy a Leisurely Time while Reflecting on the Past

Deep in the mountains where Heike refugees once hid from the world, the silky alkaline waters of Iya Onsen soothe tired bodies, while tables laden with local mountain fare nourish the spirit. By spending a relaxing time here watching the ridgelines shift in the light, carried along by a leisurely local pace, you may find that the knots in your body and mind quietly dissolve.

About the Author
Maki Maeda

After more than a decade living in Nasu-Shiobara, Maki returned to Tokyo a year ago and has been happily rediscovering exhibitions and landmarks around the capital ever since. She still occasionally updates her blog with spots from Nasu.
https://nasu-shiomikke.blogspot.com

Photo credits: Miyoshi City Tourism Association, Hotel Iya Onsen, Kazurabashi Blueberry Farm & Kominka Cafe Tenku, Boke Mart

*All prices listed include tax.
*Information is current as of April 2026. Details are subject to change; please confirm before your visit.