The deep Iya Valley, one of Japan's three great hidden regions (Nihon Sankei), offers spectacular autumn foliage across its fog-draped mountains and steep-sided gorges. Ancient beech, oak, and maple forests on the valley walls shift through gold and scarlet from early November. The iconic thatched-roof village of Ochiai, a national important cultural landscape, sits amid the coloured hillsides for unforgettable photography. Combine the scenery with a stay in a traditional kayabuki (thatched) gassho-style inn for full immersion.
- Type
- Venue
- Category
- Autumn Leaves
- Season
- Autumn
- Month
- Early to Mid November
- Region
- Shikoku
- Prefecture
- Tokushima
- City
- Miyoshi
Highlights
- ◆Ochiai terraced village framed by autumn foliage
- ◆Fog and colour-laden mountain panoramas at sunrise
- ◆Beech and maple forests on near-vertical valley walls
- ◆Accessible via the Oboke-Iya scenic road
- ◆Authentic hidden-village atmosphere away from crowds