We offer door-to-door service between hotels or any other points by request. Many cities and airports in Shikoku (Takamatsu, Kotohira, Kochi, etc) are located about 1 to 2.5 hours away from the Iya Valley by private vehicle, but some spots can be farther.

We can take you by vehicle-only, or also include an English Speaking guide if requested. We can also create a private tour along the way to other locations in Shikoku that could include historic temples within the 88 Henro Pilgrimage, amazing gardens like Takamatsu's Ritsuin Park, and scenic spots like Kochi Castle. Just let us know your interests.

Fees depend on the vehicle type and the amount of time needed to access the desired location, but please understand that even though you may only be going one-way, fees would include our driver and vehicle's time/distance for going out for pick-up and/or returning from drop off.

For information about arranging a taxi to/from specific local accommodations, please see the "Accessing Accommodations from Oboke Station" at the bottom of this page.

If you are using a Rail Pass, then on the Japan Route Finder you should open the "Tourist Pass" section and be sure to click the box in there for "Japan Rail Pass" to get a proper search result.

Whether or not you have a Rail Pass does not actually affect the availability for any trains that stop at Oboke Station or anywhere in Shikoku, but it would affect availability of the "Nozomi" and "Mizuho" shinkansen bullet trains on Honshu if connecting in from somewhere like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, or Hiroshima.

Oboke Station is pretty small, and upon stepping out onto the platform you will immediately feel like you are far removed from the rest of urban Japan. In the traditional-style station building there is a small indoor waiting room and some toilets, but not much else.

If you have arranged to start your tour from here, then your guide will usually meet you either on the train platform or inside the building.

If you are only having a taxi pick-up for transit to your hotel, then our taxi will be just outside the station building, and the driver will have a sign with your name.

Just next to the station is an alcohol shop, and just up the hill here about 40 meters away is Boke Mart which is a small grocery store (but by far the biggest in the Iya area). It is a good place to get any drinks or snacks for either during the tour or for the evening if staying in Iya. They also sell alcohol at Boke Mart (if you are staying at a Traditional Farmhouse, then you will probably need to bring your own alcohol or any other special drinks).

If you are staying the night in the Iya Area and would like to arrange taxi service to/from Oboke Station separate from your main tour on either the day before or after, please just let us know when arranging the tour and we shall include this. In general, unreserved taxis usually do not wait at Oboke Station for potential customers, so be sure to reserve in advance.

Most hotels are located about 15-25 minutes from Oboke Station. A couple are a bit closer, and some Traditional Farmhouses can be up to an hour away.

Public buses also stop at Oboke Station for service to some hotels, but the schedules can be confusing and/or limited, and we do not suggest using public buses if you have large baggage or a large group. See here for bus schedules in English.

And a few hotels also offer station shuttle service. Please check with them directly to find out about this. For information and recommendations about were to stay, please check our Accommodations page for complete details of each location, as well as explanation on how to reserve and access.