Tokushima’s Sacred Mountain and the Secluded Region

Located in the eastern part of the mountainous region of Shikoku, Japan’s fourth largest island, the Tsurugi Mountain Range is known as the "roof of Shikoku." The main peak, Tsurugi-san (Mt. Tsurugi), the surrounding mountains, and the Iya valley and Oboke gorge along the Yoshino River are all designated as part of the Tsurugi-san Quasi-National Park. To be found here are rugged mountains with a unique natural environment and legends of the Heike no Ochudo (fugitives from the Genpei War) to be found in the Iya Gorge, with its rows of houses with traditional thatched roofs—a typical Japanese landscape. Come now on a walk through this mysterious, secluded part of Tokushima Prefecture.

Soaring above the hinterland of the Iya Valley at 1,995 meters above sea level, Mt. Tsurugi is the second-highest mountain in western Japan. Between Spring and Autumn, a chairlift is in operation, making climbing to the summit of Mt. Tsurugi, one of the 100 Famous Japanese Mountains, a breeze. There are numerous shrines scattered around Mt. Tsurugi, such as the Tsurugi Shrine at the trailhead and the Tsurugisan Hongu Hozoseki Shrine at the summit—a testament to the entire mountain being an object of worship.

As with other holy mountains in Japan, there was a strict ban on women venturing onto Mt. Tsurugi, a place that attracted many mountain ascetic priests, until the early Showa Period (1926–1989)

There is no shortage of fascinating flora to be found around Mt. Tsurugi. For instance, there are colonies of kirengeshoma (yellow wax bells; Kirengeshoma palmata ), a shrubby perennial that flowers from the Kinki Region westwards, and alpine plants such as the Shikoku-furo (Japanese marbled cranesbill; Geranium shikokianum ) and the Miyamakumazasa (Sasa hayatae Makino). In addition, there is a protected forest area of subarctic plants typical of this area, most notably the Shikoku shirabe (Shikoku Fir; Abies veitchii var. sikokiana ). 

A variant of Veitch's silver fir, this conifer is found in very limited areas above 1,700 meters in the Tsurugi and Ishizuchi mountain ranges (Ehime and Kochi prefectures). It is listed as a vulnerable species in Tokushima and Kochi prefectures, and near threatened in Ehime Prefecture.

One of these surrounds the sacred rocks that lie behind the Hozoseki Shrine, where Emporor Antoku’s ruling sword is said to have been secluded, and the Oshikimizu (Divine Water) spring where the sword and his hair was purified. Another place on the mountain that refers to this legend is the Katanagake-no-matsu (Sword Resting Pine Tree) where Antoku and his entourage hung their swords on an old pine while taking a rest. The summit of the mountain, with its rolling plains, is known as "Heike no Baba," and it is said that Heike warriors used to train their horses here.

Four Routes to the TopAfter riding the chairlift from the trailhead at Minokoshi to the Nishijima station located at 1,750m, there are four hiking routes to choose from; you can take the one that best matches your fitness level and equipment to reach the summit. For instance, the Yuhodo hiking course takes you to the summit via the Nishijima Shrine, dedicated to a large rocky outcrop, and the Nidomi Lookout.

The gentle trail is beautifully wooded, with Dakekanba (Erman's Birch; Betula ermanii var. ermanii) and Ryobu trees on both sides. From the lookout, you can enjoy a spectacular view of the mountains around the Iya Valley and Mt. Jirogyu, Mt. Tsurugi’s “younger brother”. Meanwhile, the Otsurugi-do hiking course has several highlights, including the Otsurugi Shrine and the giant limestone formation (Otoiwa) it is dedicated to, the Oshikimizu spring, considered as one of the 100 Best Waters in Japan, and the Tsurugisan Hongu Hozoseki Shrine.

The shortest route to the summit is via the Onemichi course; it takes just 40 minutes to reach the top of Mt. Tsurugi after climbing up a series of steep inclines and steps. The most formidable route is the Gyoba course, one that allows you to follow in the footsteps of the mountain ascetics, traversing the highly difficult Fudo-no-iwa and Ari-no-to watari (“Across the anthill”), and providing advanced climbers with a more difficult and varied way up.

It takes about an hour to reach the summit from Nishijima Station, the terminus of the chairlift; from Minokoshi, it is around an hour and a half hike. A wooden walkway has been constructed to protect the Miyamakumazasa grasses near the peak; at the top, a 360-degree panorama spreads out before you. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Ishizuchi, Cape Muroto (in far-off western Kochi Prefecture), and the Seto Inland Sea in the distance.

After a day’s hike, you’ll be hungry for a taste of some of the local delicacies. Hideo Maoka, the Chief Priest of the Tsurugi Shrine in Minokoshi, brings in some makigaki (rolled persimmon), a specialty of the town of Tsurugi. This preserved food is made by first removing the stems and seeds from dried persimmons, then rolling them up in straw. It is said the cold winds blowing down off the mountains gives them a particularly rich sweetness. In the past, makigaki was highly valued as a substitute for sugar and was an indispensable addition to the ubiquitous Japanese New Year’s dish called namasu (which is comprised of pickled daikon and carrot).

A Shangri-la Deep Inside Tokushima’s Mountains Known as one of Japan’s Three Most Secluded Locations, the Iya region (which is part of Miyoshi City, Tokushima Prefecture) is situated at the foot of Mt. Tsurugi. Within the western part of this region lies the famed Iya Valley with its precipitous cliffs and the Kazura Bridge—named as one of Japan’s “Three Most Curious Bridges”! Along the Yoshino River, of which the Iya River is a tributary, lies the Oboke Gorge, a place designated both as a National Place of Scenic Beauty and a Natural Monument. Meanwhile, in the middle of the eastern part of the Iya region is the village of Ochiai, a traditional hamlet that has been attracting quite some attention in recent years.

Ochiai, designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government, is a mountain village perched on a 390-meter incline up a steep mountainside. Many thatched roof houses built at the end of the Edo period still remain in the village, which is about 750 meters east to west and 850 meters north to south. With its winding lanes and terraced fields bounded by walls of stone, piled up by hand, Ochiai is archetypical of a satoyama environment, the traditional Japanese rural landscape.

The origin of the village is not clear, but it is thought to have already been established in the Middle Ages; there are legends of the fallen Heike clan and frontier stories surrounding Taira no Noritsune that attest to this claim.

Breathing New Life into Old, Vacant Houses to Rejuvenate a VillageOne of the reasons for the eastern part of Iya, which had become a depopulated backwater deep in the mountains, has come into public prominence has been due to Alex Kerr, an Eastern culture researcher originally from the US. Kerr first visited the area in 1971 and fell in love with the landscape—which he says reminded him of a Chinese ink painting—and the simple rural lifestyle. Two years later, he purchased a 300-year old thatched farmhouse in the hamlet of Tsurui.

Like Kerr, Seiji Sasegawa of the Chiori Alliance, the body that manages the Togenkyo Iya project, is keen to pass on the beauty and traditions of mountain villages that have slowly been disappearing in Japan.

“Knowledge of Ochiai has grown since it was designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and in response to recent inbound tourism demand, it has been transformed into a short-stay tourism destination. We now have guided tours of the village by Ochiai residents and local cuisine workshops run by the women of the village to try and convey the charms of this area to as many people as possible. While we want tourists to get a feel of the Iya atmosphere, there is also the desire for locals to rediscover the appeal of their birthplace through these efforts.”

The Thriving Culture of East IyaSasegawa notes that the charm of Iya not only lies in its old houses but also in the traditions that still survive to this day. One example is the koeguro that can be seen in the fields during the winter. In autumn, grass from kayaba (Japanese pampas grass area) around the village is harvested and formed into large conical shapes in the fallow fields. These are left to dry until early spring when the grass is used for thatch roofs or fertilizer in the fields. Spreading the thatch in between rows on the fields is said to prevent soil runoff during rains—a tradition that epitomizes the ingenuity of those who live on these steep mountainsides.

To carry on these traditions, a good old-fashioned spirit of mutual help lives on in the village. Busy creating koeguro with some of his neighbors, Ochiai born and raised Toshiharu Minami stops to chat. He says that the thing he has noticed the most over the past few decades as he has watched the village’s transformation is the family structure.

“In the past, a family was so large that it could field a baseball team. Now, it’s mostly old people living alone or just elderly couples. If one of them becomes frail, it's a big deal. That's why it's more and more important for neighbors to help each other out.”

Rather than relying on adult offspring who have left for the city, neighbors living on these slopes are working together. Big jobs, such as harvesting thatch and re-thatching roofs, are undertaken in a thriving system of yui — a traditional system of mutual cooperation and collaborative work. This kind of old-fashioned local community dynamic is something that has enamored not only foreign visitors, but Japanese people leading their modern lifestyles, too.

Passing on Mountain Village Traditions to the Next GenerationThe Iya region is not just about stunning views and natural beauty; its true charm of lies in experiencing an old way of life, tracing the local culture, and contemplate traditions that are gradually being lost. A visit to this hidden land to experience a spiritual home of the Japanese people is highly recommended.