Japan Guide
Shikoku
Ōboke Gorge
The spectacular Ōboke Gorge is cut through by the sparkling Yoshino-gawa. The vertiginous mountains here and in the adjacent Iya Valley can be coated in snow during the winter, while less than one hour south, the palms of Kōchi sway in the sunshine. This remoteness from the rest of the island made the gorge an ideal bolt hole for the Taira clan after their defeat at Yashima in 1185.
With your own transport you'll have the choice of taking the quieter old Route 32 through the Iya Valley. The road eventually ends up at Nishi Iya where you'll find the Kazura-bashi, one of several bridges in the area whose style dates from Taira times, when they were made out of shirakuchi (mountain vines) and bamboo, so that they could easily be cut down to block an enemy. The 45-metre-long bridge is rebuilt every three years and, though it is not that high, the swaying motion as you cross induces enough of a thrill to justify the ¥500 entry fee.
Several tourist restaurants around the Kazura-bashi serve yakisakana – fish roasted on sticks over hot coals; set meals start at around ¥1000. The management at Woody Rest, near Iya-guchi Station, speak English; it's a rustic place serving good, inexpensive food. In Ōboke, West West ( 
www.west-west.com ), a popular biker's hangout, is an attractive modern complex including a café with a great view and a Mont Bell outdoor gear shop beside the Yoshino-gawa.
With its rustic onsen and river-rafting possibilities, the Iya Valley is a popular tourist spot that offers a good range of accommodation. In Nishi Iya, 500km along the river from the Kazura-bashi, you'll find a good campsite ( 
0883/87-2848). Awa Ikeda Youth Hostel ( & 
0883/72-5277, www.jyh.or.jp ) is part of a temple with a spectacular location on the side of the mountain overlooking the town. You don't need to be on one of their rafting or canyoning trips to enjoy the guesthouse run by Tern from Happy Raft – The Happy Guest House ( 0887/75-0500, www.happyraft.com ) is in a lovely old house on the mountainside overlooking the valley on the Kochi-ken side of Oboke